mao

Everyday

1. (a name) Mao usually means Mao Zedong, the leader of the Communist Party who ruled the People's Republic of China from its start until his death. tree →
2. (Mandarin, pinyin) «Máo» (毛) means hair, fur or feather, and is also a small unit of Chinese money: ten mao make one yuan. tree →
3. (Mandarin, pinyin) «Māo» (猫) means cat. It sounds like "mow" (rhymes with "cow"). It is not an English word. tree →
4. Mao is also the name of a showy, boastful peacock in Kipling's Jungle Book stories. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, Mao is a key figure of modern China: he led the Communists to power, and his rule is remembered both for uniting the country and for campaigns in which millions of people died of famine and persecution; historians and Chinese people today judge him in different ways. In Mandarin lessons and on Chinese streets, «máo» is used for money (like ten pence), and «māo» is a cat; the tone changes the meaning. Phrases: «Chairman Mao», «yí kuài wǔ máo» (one yuan fifty).

Examples

• (a name) Chairman Mao led China for many years. tree →
• (a name) Mao's picture hangs over the gate in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. tree →
• (Mandarin, pinyin) Wǔ máo means five mao, half a yuan. tree →
• (Mandarin, pinyin) Wǒ yǒu yì zhī māo — I have a cat. tree →
• (Mandarin, pinyin) In Chinese, «máo» can mean fur or feathers. tree →
• Historians still argue about Mao's rule. tree →
• He dances like Mao the Peacock. tree →

Note

Capital M for the person. In pinyin the tone marks matter: māo (cat, high level tone) vs máo (hair, money, rising tone). In speech the money unit is called «máo»; on notes it is written «jiǎo». It is not an English word apart from the name.