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谋 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
谋móuto planHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 讠, rank #7611, Very Hard
谋móuto seekHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 讠, rank #7611, Very Hard
谋móuschemeHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 讠, rank #7611, Very Hard
谋móuto plan, to scheme; strategemHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 讠, rank #7611, Very Hard
móu(mou2)mou T2
  1. 1to plan
  2. 2to seek
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March 24, 2026

谋(謀)móu(mou2)

谋 (móu) refers to the act of planning or scheming, often with a connotation of strategizing for a specific goal. It is commonly used in contexts involving careful consideration or manipulation, whether in personal, business, or political scenarios. The character can imply both positive planning and negative scheming, depending on the context.

Strokes11Radical讠Frequency#7611DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of '谋' is deeply rooted in historical texts like 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu, which emphasizes strategic planning in both warfare and business.

Memory tip

Imagine a wise old man (the character 谷, meaning 'valley' is often associated with wisdom) sitting in a valley, plotting his next move on a chessboard. The '谋' (móu) suggests 'move' and 'plan,' so visualize him making strategic maneuvers to win the game.

Meanings of 谋

móu(mou2)
1to plan
2to seek
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 谋

谋Simplified
謀Traditional
11Strokes
讠Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#7611Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7

Podcast: 谋

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Podcast: 谋

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AI study notes for 谋

Quick Contrast

谋 (móu) vs 策 (cè): choose 谋 when emphasizing strategic planning or manipulation, while 策 focuses more on the method or plan itself.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 谋 with similar-sounding words. It is typically used in formal contexts, especially in discussions of strategy or planning. Be careful with the tone; 'móu' is pronounced with a rising tone, which can be easily confused with other tones if not practiced.

HSK Study Tips

Though not in the official HSK list, '谋' can be linked to other action verbs at the same level, such as '做' (zuò, to do) and '想' (xiǎng, to think). Students should focus on using it in sentences that clarify its strategic nuances.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse '谋' with '目' (mù, meaning 'eye') due to similar pronunciation. An incorrect example is saying '我谋了' (wǒ mú le) instead of '我谋划了' (wǒ móu huà le) to indicate planning something.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 谋

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Etymology of 谋

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

Simplified form of 謀. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 某 represents the sound.

Memory hint

speech

Semantic (meaning)讠
+
Phonetic (sound)某
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

谋 = 讠 + 某. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 谋

IDS Structure⿰讠某
谋Full character
=
讠yan2
left
某mou3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 谋?

How to say to plan in Chinese

“to plan” in Chinese is谋móu

谋 (móu) refers to the act of planning or scheming, often with a connotation of strategizing for a specific goal. It is commonly used in contexts involving careful consideration or manipulation, whether in personal, business, or political scenarios. The character can imply both positive planning and negative scheming, depending on the context.

When to use 谋

Common mistakes include confusing 谋 with similar-sounding words. It is typically used in formal contexts, especially in discussions of strategy or planning. Be careful with the tone; 'móu' is pronounced with a rising tone, which can be easily confused with other tones if not practiced.

谋 or something close to it

谋 (móu) vs 策 (cè): choose 谋 when emphasizing strategic planning or manipulation, while 策 focuses more on the method or plan itself.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse '谋' with '目' (mù, meaning 'eye') due to similar pronunciation. An incorrect example is saying '我谋了' (wǒ mú le) instead of '我谋划了' (wǒ móu huà le) to indicate planning something.

Write 谋

谋

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

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Grammar patterns of 谋

谋 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 4 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

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

培养年轻球员应该是所有俱乐部____求发展之道。

Young players have got to be the way forward for every club.

Example sentences for 谋 (10)

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1
培养年轻球员应该是所有俱乐部谋求发展之道。

péiyǎng niánqīng qiúyuán yīnggāi shì suǒyǒu jùlèbù móuqiú fāzhǎn zhī dào。

Young players have got to be the way forward for every club.
2
至今尚不清楚他究竟是饮弹自杀还是被谋杀。

zhìjīn shàng bù qīngchu tā jiūjìng shì yǐn dàn zìshā háishi bèi móu shā。

To this day, it's unclear whether he shot himself or was murdered.
3
如果你通过侵略谋取利益,这就成了弱肉强食。

rúguǒ nǐ tōngguò qīnlüè móuqǔ lìyì, zhè jiù chéng le ruò ròu jiàng shí。

If you make aggression pay, this becomes the law of the jungle.
4
这位下院议员称这些谋杀是在上帝面前的公然亵渎。

zhè wèi xià yuàn yìyuán chèn zhèxiē móu shā shì zài shàngdì miànqián de gōngrán xiè dú。

The MP described the killings as a blasphemy before God.
5
从一开始我就看穿了你的小计谋。

cóng yī kāishǐ wǒ jiù kàn chuān le nǐ de xiǎo jì móu。

I saw through your little ruse from the start.
6
他因谋杀一名地方法官而被通缉。

tā yīn móu shā yī míng dìfang fǎguān ér bèi tōngjī。

He was wanted for the murder of a magistrate.
7
他被控谋划妨碍司法公正。

tā bèi kòng móuhuà fáng’ài sīfǎ gōngzhèng。

He was charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice.
8
起初,他幸好不知道那些针对他的阴谋。

qǐchū, tā xìnghǎo bùzhī dào nàxiē zhēnduì tā de yīnmóu。

At first, he was blissfully unaware of the conspiracy against him.
9
有13名男子因谋杀案受到盘问。

yǒu13 míng nánzǐ yīn móu shā àn shòudào pán wèn。

13 men have been questioned in connection with the murder.
10
这一证据证实了他们的观点,即此次突发暴力事件是有预谋的。

zhè yī zhèngjù zhèngshí le tāmen de guāndiǎn, jí cǐcì tūfā bàolì shìjiàn shì yǒu yù móu de。

This evidence supports their contention that the outbreak of violence was prearranged.

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Word Family of 谋

Words containing this character20
谋杀móushāto murder謀殺
阴谋yīnmóuplot陰謀
谋móuto plan謀
谋杀案móushā’ànmurder case謀殺案
谋求móuqiúto seek謀求
张艺谋zhāngyìmóuZhang Yimou (1950-), PRC film director張藝謀
参谋cānmóustaff officer參謀
谋生móushēngto seek one's livelihood謀生
谋取móuqǔto seek謀取
预谋yùmóupremeditated預謀
谋划móuhuàto scheme謀劃
参谋长cānmóuzhǎngchief of staff參謀長
谋杀罪móushāzuìmurder謀殺罪
同谋tóngmóuto plot同謀
图谋túmóuto conspire圖謀
密谋mìmóuconspiracy密謀
共谋gòngmóuto conspire共謀
出谋划策chūmóuhuàcèto give advice (idiom)出謀劃策
合谋hémóuto conspire合謀
计谋jìmóustratagem計謀
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 谋

What does 谋杀 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 谋

'谋' can have both positive and negative connotations depending on the context; it can refer to constructive planning or manipulative scheming.

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