猫

2 readings · tap one to hear it

cat (CL:隻|只[zhi1]); (dialect) to hide oneself; (loanword) (coll.) modem

Sound it out + = · + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

犭 meaning “animal” + 苗 sound ( miáo )

Components 犭苗

cat · Heisig RSH #1587

pack of wild dogs + tomato seedling

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
大山猫	dà shān māo	Lynx rufus
猫儿山	Māo ér shān	Kitten Mountain, Guangxi
猫眼儿	māo yǎn r	erhua variant of 貓眼\|猫眼[mao1 yan3]
三色猫	sān sè māo	calico cat
波斯猫	Bō sī māo	Persian (cat)
三脚猫	sān jiǎo māo	sb with only rudimentary skills (in a particular area)
三毛猫	sān máo māo	tortoiseshell cat; calico cat
阿猫阿狗	ā māo ā gǒu	(idiom) (coll.) any Tom, Dick or Harry; just about anyone (used dismissively)
天猫座	Tiān māo zuò	Lynx (constellation)
夜猫子	yè māo zi	owl; (fig.) night owl
山猫	shān māo	lynx; bobcat; leopard cat
猫声鸟	māo shēng niǎo	catbird
猫儿	māo ér	kitten
小猫	xiǎo māo	kitten
家猫	jiā māo	domestic cat; house cat
苏格兰折耳猫	Sū gé lán Zhé ěr māo	Scottish Fold
花猫	huā māo	tabby cat; calico cat
公猫	gōng māo	male cat; tomcat
猫门	māo mén	cat door; cat flap
猫眼	māo yǎn	peephole (in a door); (mineralogy) chrysoberyl

Characters sharing the sound component 苗 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
苗 sound part	miáo	sprouts; Miao nationality
描	miáo	to copy, to depict, to sketch, to trace
锚	máo	anchor
瞄	miáo	to take aim at; to look at
喵	miāo	a cat's meow
鹋	miáo	emu