to have, to own, to possess; to exist
an extra inner horizontal stroke
6 strokes · Radical: 月有 vs 冇: How to Tell Them Apart
CHARACTERS AT A GLANCE
有an extra inner horizontal stroke · yǒu · to have, to own, to possess; to exist
冇missing it · mǎo · (Cant.) have not
01 · SEE THE DIFFERENCE
What is added or changed in each character?
Dark red marks the deciding detail
VS
Play each character and compare the highlighted details.
(Cant.) have not
missing it
Why the difference is easy to miss
有 and 冇 share an outline that is easy to read too quickly.
有 has an extra inner horizontal stroke; 冇 is missing it. At a glance, that shared shape can make the inner horizontal stroke easy to overlook.
Check the shape first, then confirm with the word.
If the surrounding word/meaning conflicts with the character you first recognized, re-check missing inner stroke.
Choose the right character.
Which character in 有 / 冇 matches “have, own, possess”?
Choose one answer.Which character in 有 / 冇 matches “(Cant.) have not”?
Choose one answer.Which character completes 享□?
Choose one answer.How do I tell 有 vs 冇 apart?
有 has an extra inner horizontal stroke; 冇 is missing it. Then confirm with meaning/context: 有 (yǒu) — have, own, possess | 冇 (mǎo) — (Cant.) have not.
What should I check when these characters appear in words?
Use meaning as the second route after visual discrimination: 有 = have, own, possess; 冇 = (Cant.) have not. If the surrounding word/meaning conflicts with the character you first recognized, re-check missing inner stroke.