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麈 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
麈zhǔa species of deerg, 16 strokes, radical 鹿
麈zhǔleader of herdunknown, 16 strokes, radical 鹿
麈zhǔstagunknown, 16 strokes, radical 鹿
zhǔ(zhu3) T3
  1. 1a species of deer
  2. 2leader of herd
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

麈zhǔ(zhu3)

The character 麈 (zhǔ) refers to a specific type of deer, often associated with being a leader of the herd. It embodies the idea of strength and guidance within a group, typically represented by the stag. This term is less commonly used in everyday conversations but may appear in literary contexts or discussions about nature and wildlife.

Strokes16Radical鹿
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, deer symbolize prosperity and longevity. The concept of a leader among animals also ties into various philosophical ideas about leadership and harmony in nature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a majestic stag (the leader of the deer herd) standing proudly in the forest. The character 麈 looks like a stag with its antlers represented by the top part of the character, and the 'zhǔ' pronunciation can be remembered by thinking of 'zoo' where you might see such a deer leading its group.

Meanings of 麈

zhǔ(zhu3)
1a species of deer
2leader of herd
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 麈

麈Simplified
16Strokes
鹿Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 麈

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Podcast: 麈

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AI Study Notes for 麈

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the pronunciation; the third tone can be easily mispronounced. This word is more formal and may not be suitable for casual conversations. It often appears in written texts related to wildlife or poetry, so be mindful of the context in which you use it.

HSK Study Tips

While 麈 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your knowledge of animals in Chinese. Focus on related words like 鹿 (lù, deer) to build your vocabulary around wildlife, which can help with comprehension in more advanced texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 麈 with similar-sounding characters. For example, they might mistakenly write it as 猪 (zhū, pig). Remember that 麈 refers specifically to a type of deer, while 猪 is about pigs.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 麈

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Etymology of 麈

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

deer

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 麈

  1. 1The meaning half鹿 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half主 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaydeer
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 麈? 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 麈?

Decomposition of 麈

IDS Structure⿸鹿主
麈Full Character
=
鹿lu4
enclosing
主zhu3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 麈?

How to say a species of deer in Chinese

“a species of deer” in Chinese is麈zhǔ

The character 麈 (zhǔ) refers to a specific type of deer, often associated with being a leader of the herd. It embodies the idea of strength and guidance within a group, typically represented by the stag. This term is less commonly used in everyday conversations but may appear in literary contexts or discussions about nature and wildlife.

When to use 麈

Be cautious with the pronunciation; the third tone can be easily mispronounced. This word is more formal and may not be suitable for casual conversations. It often appears in written texts related to wildlife or poetry, so be mindful of the context in which you use it.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 麈 with similar-sounding characters. For example, they might mistakenly write it as 猪 (zhū, pig). Remember that 麈 refers specifically to a type of deer, while 猪 is about pigs.

Write 麈

麈

Practice writing 麈 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 麈

Words Containing This Character1
麈zhǔstag
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 麈 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 麈

No, 麈 is more often found in literary or poetic contexts rather than everyday speech.

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