How to Write 牟 (móu/mù) — Meaning “to seek; to obtain”

Imagine a cow (牛) stretching its neck upward like a hook (厶) to reach for a juicy leaf. The shape 牟 looks like a cow standing up tall to seek and obtain food. This visual can help you recall the meaning of 'to seek' or 'to obtain'.

Write 牟 in 6 strokes: first the top 厶 (a short diagonal, then a hook), then bottom 牛 (left-slant, two horizontals, vertical). A common mistake is making the top part too large or not aligning the vertical stroke of 牛 with the center of the hook above.

牟 has an extra top component (厶) that 牛 (cow) does not have— 牛 is just the single cow radical. 牝 (pìn) has the cow radical on the left with 匕 on the right, while 牟 places the cow at the bottom. Remember 牟 is its own full character, not a simple radical combination.

牟 appears mainly in the word 牟取 (móu qǔ), meaning 'to seek or obtain', often with a negative sense of profiting unfairly. It is also used in the place name 中牟 (Zhōng mù), a county in Henan province. Outside these contexts, 牟 is not common in everyday speech.

Common words containing 牟 include: 牟取 (móu qǔ) — to seek; to obtain; 中牟 (zhōng mù) — Zhongmu (a place name in Henan).