忙 (máng) is a Chinese character meaning “busy”. It is written from 忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 亡 (to perish; to lose), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “busy”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
忄 + 亡
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS decomposition cross-checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke order (6 = 3 + 3)
Memory aid
The upright heart 忄 on the left, and 亡 on the right giving the sound. A heart with no room left in it — that is what busy feels like.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 帮忙bāng mángto help; to lend a hand忙 = máng
- 匆忙cōng mánghurried; in a rush忙 = máng
- 急忙jí mánghurriedly; in a rush忙 = máng
Go deeper
All readings
busy
busy; occupied; to hurry; to be fully taken up with something
事情多，没有空闲；急着做某事。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 帮忙bāng mángto help; to lend a hand忙 = máng
- 匆忙cōng mánghurried; in a rush忙 = máng
- 急忙jí mánghurriedly; in a rush忙 = máng
Sound component
亡 family onset shift
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 忙 mean?
忙 (máng) means busy; occupied; to hurry; to be fully taken up with something.
How do you pronounce 忙?
It is pronounced máng.
What parts is 忙 made of?
忄 (heart (left-side form)) and 亡 (to perish; to lose), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS decomposition cross-checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke order (6 = 3 + 3). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 忙 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 忙?
心. 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 忙?
Common ones are 帮忙 and 匆忙. The reading of 忙 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.