How to Write 慕 (mù) — Meaning “to admire; to long for”

Imagine the top part 莫 as a big hat or cover, and below it is a heart (心). Picture someone covering their heart because they secretly admire another person. This visual of a hidden heart helps you recall that 慕 means 'to admire' or 'to long for'.

Pay special attention to the bottom 心 radical: it must be centered under the wide top part 莫 and its three dots should be balanced. A common mistake is making the heart too small or placing the right dot too far outward. Remember to write the strokes of 莫 first, then finish with the heart below.

慕 means 'to admire or long for' and has 莫 on top, while 悲 (bēi) means 'sadness' and has 非 (fēi) on top instead. 㥯 (yǐn) is a very rare character meaning 'hidden sorrow' and looks similar but is not used in modern Chinese. Visually, the top parts are different: 慕 uses 莫, 悲 uses 非, and 㥯 uses a variant of 隐.

慕 appears in common words like 羡慕 (xiàn mù, to envy/admire) and 爱慕 (ài mù, to adore). It is also used in 慕名 (mù míng), meaning to be attracted by someone's reputation. Culturally, 慕 carries a poetic, respectful tone and is often found in classical literature and personal names to express deep admiration.

Common words containing 慕 include: 羡慕 (xiàn mù) — to envy; to admire; 爱慕 (ài mù) — To adore / To admire; 慕名 (mù míng) — attracted by someone's fame; out of admiration for a name.