How to Write 姆 (mǔ) — Meaning “Governess or older woman.”

Imagine a mother (母) looking after children as a nanny, with the woman radical (女) on the left reminding you it is a female role. So 姆 is like a "woman who acts like a mother" — a governess or nanny.

Write the left radical 女 first with three strokes (折撇横), then the right part 母 in five strokes starting with 竖折. A common mistake is making the 女 radical too wide; keep it narrow so the character stays balanced. Also, ensure the dots in 母 are placed correctly.

姆 has the right part 母 (mother), while 奸 uses 干 (dry, also a phonetic) and means "wicked" or "adultery" — very different meaning. 她 uses 也 on the right and is the pronoun "she." Visually, 姆 has a more complex right side with dots and hooks compared to the simple strokes of 奸 and 她.

姆 appears in common words like 保姆 (nanny) and 字母 (alphabet letter). It is not used alone in modern speech, only as a component. Culturally, 保姆 is a common term for a domestic helper, and 字母 is essential for learning written language, showing the character's practical role.

Common words containing 姆 include: 保姆 (bǎo mǔ) — nanny; babysitter; 字母 (zì mǔ) — letter (of an alphabet); 姆妈 (mǔ mā) — Mom (dialectal)..