耗 (hào) is a Chinese character meaning “to consume”. It is written from 耒 (plough (ancient wooden plough)) and 毛 (hair; fur; feather), side by side, and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “to consume”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
耒 + 毛
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：秏，从禾，毛声；耗为其通行字形（左旁作耒）。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（耒6 + 毛4 = 10 笔）
Memory aid
Push a plough (耒) through the field until it is worn as thin as a hair (毛) — hard work uses things up.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 消耗xiāo hàoto consume; to use up耗 = hào
- 耗费hào fèito expend; to consume (time, money, energy)耗 = hào
Go deeper
All readings
to consume; to use up
to consume; to use up; to waste; (bad) news
减损，消费；拖延（时间）；（坏的）消息。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 消耗xiāo hàoto consume; to use up耗 = hào
- 耗费hào fèito expend; to consume (time, money, energy)耗 = hào
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 耗 mean?
耗 (hào) means to consume; to use up; to waste; (bad) news.
How do you pronounce 耗?
It is pronounced hào.
What parts is 耗 made of?
耒 (plough (ancient wooden plough)) and 毛 (hair; fur; feather), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：秏，从禾，毛声；耗为其通行字形（左旁作耒）。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（耒6 + 毛4 = 10 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 耗 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 耗?
耒. 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 耗?
Common ones are 消耗 and 耗费. The reading of 耗 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.