Meaning of 摸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to feel with the hand
- to touch
- to stroke
- to grope
- to steal
- to abstract
- variant of 摹[mo2]
How to use 摸
摸 is an everyday verb for touching or feeling something with your hand, often lightly or to check something. It also extends to figuring things out, as in 摸索 (mōsuǒ) and 摸清 (mōqīng). Example: 别摸那只狗。(Bié mō nà zhī gǒu.) Don't touch that dog.
摸 is made of the hand radical 扌 on the left and 莫 (mò) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture a hand reaching out to feel something, and the mò sound shifting to mō.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 摸 with 模 (mó, model) and 漠 (mò, desert), which share the 莫 part. Only 摸 has the hand radical 扌, so it is the one about touching. Also keep the first tone mō, not the second tone mó.
摸 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
摸 mō · to feel with the hand · 13 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 摸.
| 触摸 | chùmō | to touch |
| 抚摸 | fǔmō | to gently caress and stroke; to pet |
| 摸索 | mōsuǒ | to feel about; to grope about |
| 偷偷摸摸 | tōutōumōmō | (idiom) surreptitious; sneaky |
| 摸清 | mōqīng | to suss out; to figure out; to ascertain |
| 难以捉摸 | nányǐzhuōmō | elusive; hard to pin down |
| 自摸 | zìmō | (mahjong) to self-draw the winning tile; (slang) to play with oneself; to masturbate |
| 捉摸 | zhuōmō | to fathom; to make sense of |
Questions about 摸
What does 摸 mean?
摸 (mō) means "to feel with the hand; to touch" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 摸?
摸 is made of 1 character: 摸 (13 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 摸 an HSK word?
Yes. 摸 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 摸 and 碰?
摸 (mō) means to touch or feel on purpose with your hand, often gently. 碰 (pèng) means to bump or come into contact, often by accident, and not always with the hand.
How do I say I am figuring something out by trial and error?
Use 摸索 (mōsuǒ), literally groping about. For example, 我还在摸索 (wǒ hái zài mōsuǒ) means I am still figuring it out.