磨 meaning and stroke order
To rub; to grind; to polish
How to write 磨, stroke by stroke
16 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
Meaning of 磨
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to rub
- to grind
- to polish
- to sharpen
- to wear down
- to die out
- grindstone
- to grind
- to turn round
How 磨 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Stone.
石 gives the meaning and 麻 hints at the sound.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 磨
磨 is built from 麻 (má), which gives the sound, sitting over 石 (shí, stone), which gives the meaning. Picture grinding hemp 麻 against a stone 石 until it wears down.
As a verb, 磨 (mó) means to grind, polish, sharpen, or wear something down, and it often appears in words about hardship like 折磨 (zhémó) and 磨难 (mónàn). Read as mò, it is the noun for a millstone or mill, as in 磨坊 (mòfáng). Example: 他在磨刀。(Tā zài mó dāo.) He is sharpening a knife.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 磨 with 摩 (mó, to rub or touch, as in 摩擦 mócā), which has the same top 麻 but 手 (hand) underneath instead of 石 (stone). Also remember the noun for a mill or millstone is read mò, not mó.
Common words with 磨
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 折磨 | zhémó | to torment; to torture | HSK 7-9 |
| 琢磨 | zuómo | to carve and polish (jade); to polish and refine a literary work | HSK 7-9 |
| 磨难 | mónàn | a torment; a trial | HSK 7-9 |
| 磨损 | mósǔn | to suffer wear and tear; to deteriorate through use; to wear out | HSK 7-9 |
| 打磨 | dǎmó | to polish; to burnish; to shine | HSK 7-9 |
| 磨合 | móhé | to break in; to wear in | HSK 7-9 |
| 磨坊 | mòfáng | mill | |
| 磨蹭 | móceng | to rub lightly; to move slowly; to dawdle; to dillydally | |
| 消磨 | xiāomó | to wear down; to sap | |
| 磨磨蹭蹭 | mómócèngcèng | to dillydally; slow-going | |
| 磨练 | móliàn | to temper oneself; to steel oneself |
磨 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 磨
Learning 磨 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 磨
How many strokes are in 磨?
磨 is written with 16 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 磨 mean?
磨 (mó) means to rub; to grind; to polish. A common word with it is 折磨 (zhémó), meaning "to torment; to torture".
How do you pronounce 磨?
磨 is pronounced mó, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 磨?
The radical of 磨 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 磨 under this radical.
Is 磨 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 磨 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why is 琢磨 sometimes read zuómo and sometimes zhuómó?
In the sense of carving and polishing jade or refining writing, it is often read zhuómó. In everyday speech meaning to think something over or ponder, it is read zuómo with a neutral tone on 磨.
What does 磨蹭 mean in daily conversation?
磨蹭 (móceng) is used to tell someone they are dawdling or being slow. For example, 别磨蹭了 (bié móceng le) means stop dawdling and hurry up.