毛
máo · HSK 1
hair
🐑 sounds like 'meow' — but it's the fur, wool, bristle on the animal
máo (毛) covers hair, fur, wool, bristle, nap — anything fuzzy on a surface. Also the family name Mao (as in Mao Zedong). Sound hook: máo rhymes with English 'meow', and cats are famously covered in 毛.
毛 — pictograph of hair/fur, 4 strokes
毛 is a pictograph showing a tuft of hair or animal fur, with strands fanning out from a base. The original oracle bone form depicted feathers or fur clearly, and the meaning broadened from 'hair/fur' to include 'wool,' 'down,' and figuratively 'tiny' or 'rough.' It also became a common surname.