U+9709 "霉" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character
U+9709 "霉" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a Chinese character that primarily means "mold" or "mildew," often referring to fungal growth on food, clothing, or other organic materials due to dampness, as well as extending metaphorically to describe something unlucky or disastrous, such as in the common Chinese phrase "倒霉" meaning to encounter bad luck. It is composed of the rain radical "雨" on top, which can indicate weather or atmospheric phenomena, and the phonetic component "每" below, reflecting its pronunciation as "méi" in Mandarin. Historically, the character also carries connotations of darkness or gloom, aligning with its use in words related to overcast skies or the musty decay associated with prolonged moisture, and it is frequently encountered in everyday contexts from weather reports to warnings about food spoilage.