Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 木 | mù | /mu⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /mu²¹/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
| 木材 | mùcái | /mu⁵¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /mʊk̚² t͡sʰɔːi̯²¹/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 木頭 / 木头 | mùtou | |
| 木料 | mùliào | /mu⁵¹⁻⁵³ li̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /mʊk̚² liːu̯²²⁻³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
The term for wood varies depending on whether you are talking about the physical substance, a raw material or a specific element. 木 is used in technical contexts, compound words or to represent the 'wood' element in the Five Elements (Wu Xing). 木头 refers to wood as a physical substance or a piece of wood in daily life, while 木材 and 木料 are used when discussing wood as a commodity or construction material.
Which one should you use?
木 is often found in formal or technical compound words, such as those describing wood texture. 木头 is the colloquial choice for referring to wood or a piece of wood. 木材 is a formal term used when referring to wood as a commercial commodity, such as timber or lumber. 木料 is a technical term used specifically when discussing wood as a material for crafting or construction.
How do you pronounce it?
mù
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, 木 is associated with the liver and gallbladder in traditional medicine, linking the element of wood to specific internal organs.
- Calling someone a 木头人 (wood person) is a common way to describe someone who is stiff or unresponsive, similar to calling them a 'blockhead' in English.
- The character 木 is a pictograph that originally looked like a tree, with branches at the top and roots at the bottom.
Examples in context
- 木头会漂浮。Wood floats.This sentence is useful for showing that wood floats using 木.Tatoeba #5102316 by mirrorvan, translation #1869662 by ghoti
- 白蚁吃木头。Termites eat wood.This sentence is useful for describing how termites consume wood using 木.Tatoeba #5550130 by verdastelo9604, translation #479961 by kblakes
- 椅子是木质的。The chair is made of wood.This sentence is useful for describing an object made of wood using 木.Tatoeba #10038371 by GlossaMatik, translation #1629472 by CM
- 这个木头很坚实，非常适合雕刻。This piece of wood is very solid, perfect for carving.
- 我在地上找到了一块好看的木块。I found a nice-looking wooden block on the ground.
- 这是一根漂亮的木头儿，能做很多有趣的手工艺品。This is a beautiful piece of wood that can be used for many interesting crafts.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Xiaowen are looking at a piece of furniture.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这个桌子是用什么木做的？Zhège zhuōzi shì yòng shénme mù zuò de?What kind of wood is this table made of?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想是橡木。Wǒ xiǎng shì xiàngmù.I think it is oak.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这种木的颜色很漂亮。Zhè zhǒng mù de yánsè hěn piàoliang.The color of this wood is very beautiful.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是的，而且质地很坚固。Shì de, érqiě zhìdì hěn jiāngù.Yes, and the texture is very sturdy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wood” translations and entries 木, 木材, 木料, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 木, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
