募 (mù) is a Chinese character meaning “to recruit”. It is written from 莫 (don’t; no one) and 力 (strength; power), one above the other, and takes 12 strokes.
Build the character for “to recruit; to raise (funds)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
莫 + 力
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 募，广求也。从力，莫声。Modern glyph decomposition ⿱莫力 verified against hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 stroke geometry (strokes 0-9 form 莫, 10-11 form 力)
Memory aid
To recruit (募) helpers, you put out a call for strength (力) under 莫 — gather people who can lend their muscle.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
12 strokes
In real words
- 招募zhāo mùto recruit; to enlist募 = mù
- 募捐mù juānto solicit donations; to raise funds募 = mù
- 募集mù jíto raise (funds); to collect募 = mù
Go deeper
All readings
to recruit; to raise
to recruit; to enlist; to raise (money); to solicit (donations)
广泛征求、招集（人员、财物）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 招募zhāo mùto recruit; to enlist募 = mù
- 募捐mù juānto solicit donations; to raise funds募 = mù
- 募集mù jíto raise (funds); to collect募 = mù
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 募 mean?
募 (mù) means to recruit; to enlist; to raise (money); to solicit (donations).
How do you pronounce 募?
It is pronounced mù.
What parts is 募 made of?
莫 (don’t; no one) and 力 (strength; power), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 募，广求也。从力，莫声。Modern glyph decomposition ⿱莫力 verified against hanzi-writer-data 2.0.1 stroke geometry (strokes 0-9 form 莫, 10-11 form 力). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 募 have?
12. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 募?
力. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 募?
Common ones are 招募, 募捐, 募集. The reading of 募 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.