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繆 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
繆móuto prepare; error, mistake; attachedzg, 17 strokes, radical 糹
móu(mou2) T2
  1. 1to prepare; error, mistake; attached
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March 24, 2026

繆móu(mou2)

The character 繆 (móu) has several meanings, primarily relating to the concepts of preparation and mistakes. It can refer to making an error or a mistake, and in some contexts, it can also imply an attachment or connection. It is often used in formal or literary contexts, making it less common in everyday speech.

Strokes17Radical糹
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of making a mistake is often tied to moral lessons, where errors serve as important learning opportunities. The character 繆 can be found in classical texts discussing the implications of errors in judgment.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'mole' (sounds like 'móu') that is preparing to dig underground. The mole's mistake is digging in the wrong place, leading to an error. The character itself is made up of the radical for 'silk' (糸) which suggests something that is woven or connected, linking to the idea of attachment.

Meanings of 繆

móu(mou2)
1to prepare; error, mistake; attached
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 繆

繆Simplified
17Strokes
糹Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 繆

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Podcast: 繆

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AI Study Notes for 繆

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 繆 (móu) with similar-sounding characters, such as 谋 (móu), which means to plan or scheme. It's important to remember that 繆 is more about errors or mistakes. In formal writing, this character is often used in phrases discussing errors in judgment or preparation.

HSK Study Tips

Although 繆 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding its nuances can help learners differentiate between similar characters at higher levels. Focus on its usage in specific contexts like literature or formal writing to see its application alongside characters like 错 (cuò) for 'mistake'.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 繆 in informal contexts where simpler words like 错 or 误 would be more appropriate. For example, saying '我有一个繆' (I have a mistake) should be corrected to '我犯了一个错误' (I made a mistake).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 繆

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Etymology of 繆

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

thread

Semantic (meaning)糹
+
Phonetic (sound)翏
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 繆

  1. 1The meaning half糹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half翏 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 繆? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 繆?

Decomposition of 繆

IDS Structure⿰糹翏
繆Full Character
=
糹si1
left
翏liu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 繆?

How to say to prepare; error, mistake; attached in Chinese

“to prepare; error, mistake; attached” in Chinese is繆móu

The character 繆 (móu) has several meanings, primarily relating to the concepts of preparation and mistakes. It can refer to making an error or a mistake, and in some contexts, it can also imply an attachment or connection. It is often used in formal or literary contexts, making it less common in everyday speech.

When to use 繆

Learners often confuse 繆 (móu) with similar-sounding characters, such as 谋 (móu), which means to plan or scheme. It's important to remember that 繆 is more about errors or mistakes. In formal writing, this character is often used in phrases discussing errors in judgment or preparation.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 繆 in informal contexts where simpler words like 错 or 误 would be more appropriate. For example, saying '我有一个繆' (I have a mistake) should be corrected to '我犯了一个错误' (I made a mistake).

Write 繆

繆

Practice writing 繆 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 繆

Words Containing This Character7
缪liǎoerror繆
未雨绸缪to prepare for a rainy day未雨綢繆
塞缪尔Samuel (name)塞繆爾
缪斯Muse (Greek mythology)繆斯
绸缪to be sentimentally attached to sb or sth綢繆
塞缪尔·约翰逊Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) or Dr Johnson, English writer and lexicographer塞繆爾·約翰遜
缪思Muse (Greek mythology)繆思
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 缪 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 繆

You might see it in literary contexts, such as '他的判断有些繆' (His judgment has some errors).

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