木门
木wood门door=wooden door
木
木 (mù) Chinese Character: tree, wood
Branches up, roots down, trunk in the middle — that's a tree!
Practice 木 in the interactive lessonChinese character story: Tree of Life
Think of a tree. There's a trunk in the middle, branches reaching up toward the sun, and roots digging deep into the earth below. The ancient Chinese drew exactly this when they created 木 (mù). The vertical stroke is the trunk — strong and straight. The horizontal stroke is the ground line. The two strokes pointing up are branches reaching for light. The two strokes pointing down are roots gripping the soil. Above ground, it grows. Below ground, it holds on. That's a tree — and that's 木.
🧩 Word buildingSee what every part contributes
Chinese words often combine short meaning clues. Fixed expressions are clearly marked so you do not translate them too literally.
木头
木wood头noun ending here=wood or timber
头 does not mean a literal head in this word.
Chinese character origin and etymology
木 is documented as a basic character form. Its earlier written forms gradually became the regular-script shape used today.
In modern simplified Chinese, 木 is written with 4 strokes. This lesson separates documented shape history from the memory story so learners do not mistake a mnemonic for a historical claim. 木 works as one complete form rather than a puzzle made from smaller modern components. Learning its overall silhouette is useful because the same shape may later appear inside more complex characters.
Chinese character stroke order and structure
木 is written with 4 strokes. Learn the complete stroke sequence in the interactive lesson, then write the character from memory before checking your answer.
- 木 — tree — branches above, roots below
Common usage and sentence patterns
The examples below show 木 in complete beginner-friendly sentences. Read each sentence aloud, notice where the character appears, and then replace one noun or number to create a new sentence of your own.
这张桌子是木头做的。
This table is made of wood.
木头的颜色很好看。
The color of the wood looks nice.
院子种了很多木本植物。
Many woody plants are grown in the yard.
Learning tips for 木
Learn the reading as one unit: mù, with the fourth tone: a sharp fall. Avoid memorizing the letters without the tone mark. Say the syllable, recall the English meaning “tree, wood,” and write the 4 strokes from memory.
Because 木 is a basic form, focus on its proportions and stroke direction. Compare it with 林 (lín, woods — two trees together); 森 (sēn, forest — three trees, lots of trees!); 休 (xiū, rest — a person (亻) leaning on a tree (木)). Similar characters are easier to remember when their different parts and meanings are studied side by side.
Quick review checklist
- Can you recognize 木 without pinyin?
- Can you say mù with the correct tone and explain “tree, wood”?
- Can you write all 4 strokes in order?
- Can you use 木 in one short sentence?
Related characters
Learn 木 in a themed collection
Compare this character with related beginner words. A themed path helps you notice useful pairs, word-building patterns, and everyday contexts.
Continue learning Chinese characters
Use the Chinese radicals and components guide to understand reusable parts, the stroke order guide to improve handwriting, and the HSK 1 character overview to choose your next beginner lesson.
Sources and editorial note
HanziStory separates documented character history from modern memory stories. Historical-form images are shown only when a matching source file is available; missing stages are skipped rather than invented. Stroke practice uses HanziWriter data.
Last updated: August 12, 2026. Read our sources, editorial method, and correction policy.