How to Write 哞 (mōu) — Meaning “Moo”

Imagine a cow opening its mouth wide to make the "moo" sound. The left side 口 is the mouth, and the right side 牟 looks like a cow with a curved horn on top. This visual helps you recall both the shape and meaning.

Write the left radical 口 first (three strokes), then the right part 牟 (six strokes). Be careful that the top of 牟 is 厶 (a private marker) and not 夂 (go); the bottom is 牛 (cow) with its vertical stroke crossing the horizontal line. Common mistakes include making the mouth too large or mixing up the right side order.

哞 has 口 (mouth) plus 牟 (moo sound), while 君 has 尹 (govern) plus 口 (mouth) and means "ruler" or "you." 吝 has 文 (writing) plus 口 and means "stingy" or "reluctant." Visually, 君 has a horizontal line across the top, 吝 has 文 on top, and 哞 has a distinct cow-like bottom part 牛.

哞 is an onomatopoeia for the sound a cow makes, similar to "moo" in English. It appears in children's stories, animal descriptions, or comic strips—for example, saying 牛哞哞叫 (the cow goes moo). It is not used in formal writing and has no cultural symbolism beyond imitating the animal sound.

Common words containing 哞 include: 哞哞 (mōu mōu) — Moo moo; 哞叫 (mōu jiào) — To moo; 哞的一声 (mōu de yī shēng) — With a moo.