How to Write 木 (mù) — Meaning “Wood; tree”

Imagine a tree with a straight trunk (vertical stroke), a branch crossing left and right (horizontal line), and two roots going down (left-falling and right-falling strokes). Picture a simple stick figure tree to recall 木.

Write the vertical stroke first, then the horizontal stroke crossing in the middle, followed by the left-falling stroke, and finally the right-falling stroke. Keep the horizontal stroke centered slightly above the middle of the vertical line to avoid looking unbalanced.

木 (mù) means wood or tree and has a horizontal line through the middle. 未 (wèi) means 'not yet' and has a shorter horizontal that does not cross the vertical. 末 (mò) means 'end' and has a long horizontal at the top of the vertical.

木 is used in many words related to wood or trees, for example 木头 (wood) and 树木 (trees). In Chinese culture, wood is one of the five elements (五行), representing growth and vitality, and 木 often appears in names of tree species like 松木 (pine wood).

Common words containing 木 include: 木头 (mù tou) — wood; 树木 (shù mù) — Trees; 木板 (mù bǎn) — wooden board.