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秣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
秣mòfodder, horse feed; to feed a horseg, 10 strokes, radical 禾
秣mòfeed a horse with grainunknown, 10 strokes, radical 禾
mò(mo4) T4
  1. 1fodder, horse feed; to feed a horse
  2. 2feed a horse with grain
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March 24, 2026

秣mò(mo4)

The character 秣 (mò) refers to fodder or horse feed, particularly grain used for feeding horses. It can also mean the act of feeding a horse. This term is typically used in agricultural or equestrian contexts.

Strokes10Radical禾
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, horses have been vital for transportation and agriculture, making proper horse feed an important topic. The quality of feed reflects the care given to horses, which is culturally significant in agrarian communities.

Memory Tip

Imagine a horse munching on a pile of grain in a stable, with the character 秣 resembling the image of a horse (the radical 马) happily enjoying its meal. The pronunciation 'mò' can be remembered by associating it with 'munching' sounds a horse makes while eating.

Meanings of 秣

mò(mo4)
1fodder, horse feed; to feed a horse
2feed a horse with grain
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 秣

秣Simplified
10Strokes
禾Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 秣

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Podcast: 秣

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AI Study Notes for 秣

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 秣 with similar terms for food in general, but it specifically relates to horse feed. It is more formal and specialized, commonly used in contexts discussing agriculture or animal husbandry. Be cautious with the fourth tone, as it can be easily mispronounced.

HSK Study Tips

While 秣 is not included in the official HSK levels, understanding it can enhance vocabulary related to agriculture. Students should also focus on related terms about animals and feeding to build contextual understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners might mistakenly use 秣 in casual contexts where general food terms should be used. For example, saying '我吃了许多秣' (I ate a lot of 秣) is incorrect; it should be '我吃了很多食物' (I ate a lot of food).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 秣

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Etymology of 秣

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

grain

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 秣

  1. 1The meaning half禾 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half末 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrain
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 秣? 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 秣?

Decomposition of 秣

IDS Structure⿰禾末
秣Full Character
=
禾he2
left
末mo4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 秣?

How to say fodder, horse feed; to feed a horse in Chinese

“fodder, horse feed; to feed a horse” in Chinese is秣mò

The character 秣 (mò) refers to fodder or horse feed, particularly grain used for feeding horses. It can also mean the act of feeding a horse. This term is typically used in agricultural or equestrian contexts.

When to use 秣

Learners often confuse 秣 with similar terms for food in general, but it specifically relates to horse feed. It is more formal and specialized, commonly used in contexts discussing agriculture or animal husbandry. Be cautious with the fourth tone, as it can be easily mispronounced.

What learners get wrong

Learners might mistakenly use 秣 in casual contexts where general food terms should be used. For example, saying '我吃了许多秣' (I ate a lot of 秣) is incorrect; it should be '我吃了很多食物' (I ate a lot of food).

Write 秣

秣

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 秣

Words Containing This Character2
秣mòhorse feed
粮秣forage糧秣
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 秣 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 秣

It is pronounced as 'mò' with a falling tone.

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