寞 meaning and stroke order
Silent, still; lonely, solitary
How to write 寞, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 寞
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- lonesome
How 寞 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Roof.
宀 gives the meaning and 莫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 寞
Under a roof 宀 there is 莫 (mò), which gives the sound. Picture a house where nobody is home, quiet and lonely under its roof.
寞 almost never appears alone. It lives inside the word 寂寞 (jìmò), meaning lonely or lonesome, often describing a feeling or a quiet atmosphere. Example: 一个人在家很寂寞。 (Yí gè rén zài jiā hěn jìmò.) Being home alone is very lonely.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 寞 with 漠 (mò, desert or indifferent, as in 沙漠 shāmò) and 摸 (mō, to touch), since all share 莫. Remember that loneliness happens under a roof 宀, not by water 氵 or with a hand 扌.
Common words with 寞
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 寂寞 | jìmò | lonely; lonesome | HSK 7-9 |
寞 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 寞
How many strokes are in 寞?
寞 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 寞 mean?
寞 (mò) means silent, still; lonely, solitary. A common word with it is 寂寞 (jìmò), meaning "lonely; lonesome".
How do you pronounce 寞?
寞 is pronounced mò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 寞?
The radical of 寞 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 寞 under this radical.
Is 寞 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 寞 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 寂寞 and 孤独?
寂寞 (jìmò) stresses the feeling of emptiness or boredom from lacking company. 孤独 (gūdú) stresses being alone or isolated, and can sound more serious or even a little philosophical.
Can I say 我很寞 to mean I am lonely?
No. 寞 is not used by itself in modern Chinese. Say 我很寂寞 (wǒ hěn jìmò) instead.