Chinese character · HSK 6
麦 (mài) — “wheat”
麦 is treated as a pictogram of a wheat plant: the layered upper strokes become ripe grain rows, and the lower 夂 shape becomes the plant’s graceful leaves or base.
How to remember 麦
A ripe wheat head stacks its golden grains above two sweeping leaves: that is 麦.
Inside the character
- 龶 — meaning component.
- 夂 (trailing foot) — meaning component. A foot moving slowly — a structural top or bottom piece in many characters.
Where 麦 comes from
The traditional character 麥 originally combined 來 (a pictogram of a wheat plant) and 夊 (a foot). The simplified form 麦 retains the elegant, balanced outline of the wheat plant.
Words that use 麦
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 小麦 | xiǎo mài | wheat | HSK 6 |
| 麦子 | mài zi | wheat | HSK 6 |
| 燕麦 | yān mài | oats | HSK 6 |
Learn 麦 the visual way. InkSeal pairs every HSK 1–6 character
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More characters: 串 (chuàn, to string together / skewer) · 付 (fù, to pay / to hand over) · 任 (rèn, to appoint / responsibility) — or browse the full character library.