矛 (máo) is a Chinese character meaning “spear”. It is written from 予 (to give; to grant) and 丿 (left-falling stroke), and takes 5 strokes.
Build the character for “spear”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
予 + 丿
Overlapping structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（第 1–4 笔构成 予，第 5 笔为贯穿的 丿）
Memory aid
Take 予 (to hand over) and drive one long 丿 straight through it: the shaft is handed forward, the blade slices down to the left. That is a spear — 矛.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
5 strokes
In real words
- 矛盾máo dùncontradiction; conflict; contradictory矛 = máo
- 长矛cháng máolance; long spear; pike矛 = máo
Go deeper
All readings
spear
spear; lance; pike (an ancient long-handled weapon with a pointed metal head)
古代兵器，长柄，一端装有金属尖头，用来刺击。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 矛盾máo dùncontradiction; conflict; contradictory矛 = máo
- 长矛cháng máolance; long spear; pike矛 = máo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 矛 mean?
矛 (máo) means spear; lance; pike (an ancient long-handled weapon with a pointed metal head).
How do you pronounce 矛?
It is pronounced máo.
What parts is 矛 made of?
予 (to give; to grant) and 丿 (left-falling stroke). The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分，经 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（第 1–4 笔构成 予，第 5 笔为贯穿的 丿）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 矛 have?
5. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 矛?
矛. 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 矛?
Common ones are 矛盾 and 长矛. The reading of 矛 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.