How to Write 牡 (mǔ) — Meaning “male (of animals)”

Imagine a male bull (牛) standing on a patch of earth (土) to mark his territory. The 土 on the right helps you recall the sound 'mǔ', as in 'mud' – the bull stands on muddy ground.

Write the radical 牛 first, making sure the vertical stroke is straight and the final horizontal stroke turns upward slightly. Then add 土 on the right, which should be slightly narrower than the left side so the whole character stays balanced.

牝 (pìn) means 'female of animals' and is written with 牛 on the left and 匕 on the right, while 牟 (móu) means 'to seek' and has a different top part (厶) above 牛. In contrast, 牡 always uses 土 on the right and specifically refers to male animals.

牡 appears most often in the words 牡丹 (mǔ dān, peony) and 牡蛎 (mǔ lì, oyster), where it acts as a phonetic component. The peony is a culturally important flower in China, symbolizing wealth and honor, and is often called the 'king of flowers'.

Common words containing 牡 include: 牡丹 (mǔ dān) — peony; 牡蛎 (mǔ lì) — oyster; 牡牛 (mǔ niú) — bull.