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募 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
募mùto levy, to raise; to recruit; to summonvg, 12 strokes, radical 力, rank #23921, Very Hard
募mùcanvass for contributionsunknown, 12 strokes, radical 力, rank #23921, Very Hard
募mùto collectunknown, 12 strokes, radical 力, rank #23921, Very Hard
mù(mu4) T4
  1. 1to levy, to raise; to recruit; to summon
  2. 2canvass for contributions
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March 24, 2026

募mù(mu4)

The character 募 (mù) primarily means to levy or raise something, often in the context of recruiting or canvassing for contributions. It is commonly used in scenarios involving recruitment for jobs, volunteers, or fundraising efforts. This character conveys a sense of gathering or summoning people or resources for a specific purpose.

Strokes12Radical力Frequency#23921DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese society, community efforts to raise funds for local projects are common, especially in rural areas. 募 is often associated with social initiatives, reflecting the value placed on collective action in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'moo'ing cow (mù) gathering all the farmers to raise money for a new barn. The radical 勹 (wrap) on the left suggests the act of wrapping up resources, while the right part looks like a person raising their hand to volunteer.

Meanings of 募

mù(mu4)
1to levy, to raise; to recruit; to summon
2canvass for contributions
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 募

募Simplified
12Strokes
力Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 募

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Podcast: 募

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AI Study Notes for 募

Quick Contrast

募 (mù) vs 招 (zhāo) — use 募 when referring to raising or gathering contributions or people, while 招 is more about calling or inviting someone to join or participate.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 募 with similar characters like 招 (zhāo), which means to invite or summon without the emphasis on contributions. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in phrases like 募捐 (mùjuān) to mean fundraising. Be careful with tones; mispronouncing it can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

Although 募 is not in the HSK levels, it connects with other verbs related to gathering or collecting, such as 收 (shōu) and 集 (jí). Focus on how to use 募 in practical sentences that involve recruitment or fundraising to strengthen understanding.

Common Mistakes

A frequent mistake is using 募 when you mean to invite someone, which should be 招 (zhāo) instead. For example, saying '我想募你来参加' (I want to recruit you to participate) should be corrected to '我想招你来参加'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 募

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Etymology of 募

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

Phonosemantic compound. 力 represents the meaning and 莫 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

strength

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 募

Phonosemantic compound. 力 represents the meaning and 莫 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half力 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half莫 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaystrength
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 募? 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 募?

Decomposition of 募

IDS Structure⿱莫力
募Full Character
=
莫Mo4
top
力Li4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 募?

How to say to levy, to raise; to recruit; to summon in Chinese

“to levy, to raise; to recruit; to summon” in Chinese is募mù

The character 募 (mù) primarily means to levy or raise something, often in the context of recruiting or canvassing for contributions. It is commonly used in scenarios involving recruitment for jobs, volunteers, or fundraising efforts. This character conveys a sense of gathering or summoning people or resources for a specific purpose.

When to use 募

Learners often confuse 募 with similar characters like 招 (zhāo), which means to invite or summon without the emphasis on contributions. It is used in both formal and informal contexts, often in phrases like 募捐 (mùjuān) to mean fundraising. Be careful with tones; mispronouncing it can change the meaning entirely.

募 or something close to it

募 (mù) vs 招 (zhāo) — use 募 when referring to raising or gathering contributions or people, while 招 is more about calling or inviting someone to join or participate.

What learners get wrong

A frequent mistake is using 募 when you mean to invite someone, which should be 招 (zhāo) instead. For example, saying '我想募你来参加' (I want to recruit you to participate) should be corrected to '我想招你来参加'.

Write 募

募

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 募

募 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他们今天参加《西贡小姐》剧组招____新演员的试镜。

They're auditioning for new members of the cast for "Miss Saigon" today.

Example Sentences for 募 (5)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他们今天参加《西贡小姐》剧组招募新演员的试镜。

tā mén jīn tiān cān jiā《 《 xī gòng xiǎo》 jiě 》 jù zǔ zhāo mù xīn yǎn yuán de。

They're auditioning for new members of the cast for "Miss Saigon" today.
2
他们在各行各秋中发起一场征募基金的运动.

tā mén zài gè háng gè qiū zhōng fā qǐ yī cháng zhēng mù jī jīn de yùn dòng.

They launched a fund drive on all walks of life.
3
我们到哪儿收募到更多的士兵 呢 ?

wǒ mén dào nǎ ér shōu mù dào gēng duō de shì bīng?

Where can we muster up more soldier?
4
学校不收学费，所需资金向协会会员募集。

xué xiào bù shōu xué fèi， ， suǒ xū zī jīn xiàng xié huì huì yuán mù。

No tuition was charged by the school, which solicited contributions from the society's members.
5
这个民间消防队和房顶了望哨一样, 最初也是在自愿的基础上募集的.

zhè gè mín jiān xiāo fáng duì hé fáng dǐng le wàng shào yī yàng, , zuì chū yě shì zài zì yuàn de jī chǔ shàng mù jí.

The fire guard, like the roof - watchers, was at first recruited on a voluntary basis.

Word Family of 募

Words Containing This Character9
募集to raise
招募zhāomùto recruit
募捐mùjuānto solicit contributions
募mùto recruit
募款to raise money
征募to conscript徵募
筹募to raise funds籌募
捐募to solicit contributions
募化to collect alms (Buddhism)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 募集 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 募

You can say '我们正在募捐给灾区' which means 'We are raising funds for the disaster area.'

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