漠 meaning and stroke order
Desert; aloof, cool, indifferent
How to write 漠, 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 漠
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- desert
- unconcerned
How 漠 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 莫 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 漠
漠 combines the water radical 氵 with 莫 (mò), which gives the sound and also means "there is none." Picture a place where there is no water at all: a desert, and by extension a person with no warmth or feeling.
漠 rarely stands alone. It appears in words for deserts like 沙漠 (shāmò) and in words for coldness or indifference like 冷漠 (lěngmò) and 漠视 (mòshì). Example: 他对别人的痛苦很冷漠。(Tā duì biérén de tòngkǔ hěn lěngmò.) He is indifferent to other people's suffering.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 漠 with 模 (mó, mould or model) and 摸 (mō, to touch), which share the 莫 part but use a different radical: 木 for 模 and 扌 for 摸. Remember that only the water radical 氵 gives you desert and coldness.
Common words with 漠
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 沙漠 | shāmò | desert | HSK 5 |
| 冷漠 | lěngmò | cold and detached towards sb; lack of regard | HSK 7-9 |
| 漠然 | mòrán | indifferent; apathetic | HSK 7-9 |
| 荒漠 | huāngmò | desert; desolate wilderness; barren wasteland; vast and desolate | |
| 漠不关心 | mòbùguānxīn | not the least bit concerned; completely indifferent | |
| 漠视 | mòshì | to ignore; to neglect |
漠 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 漠
How many strokes are in 漠?
漠 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 漠 mean?
漠 (mò) means desert; aloof, cool, indifferent. A common word with it is 沙漠 (shāmò), meaning "desert".
How do you pronounce 漠?
漠 is pronounced mò, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 漠?
The radical of 漠 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 漠 under this radical.
Is 漠 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 漠 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 沙漠 and 荒漠?
沙漠 (shāmò) is the everyday word for a sandy desert, like the Sahara. 荒漠 (huāngmò) stresses desolation and emptiness. It can describe any barren wasteland, sandy or not, and it sounds more literary.
How do you use 漠不关心 in a sentence?
漠不关心 (mòbùguānxīn) is an idiom meaning completely indifferent. It often follows 对 + something, as in 他对政治漠不关心 (Tā duì zhèngzhì mòbùguānxīn), He doesn't care about politics at all.