Definitions

(verb) to admire; to long for

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. ⺗ represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "慕", meaning to admire, yearn for, or be attached to someone or something, derives its form and sense from an internal phonetic and semantic construction. Its traditional structure, which remains unchanged in modern writing, combines the component "莫" at the top, historically providing its ancient pronunciation, and "心" (heart) at the bottom, indicating the emotional nature of the word. Initially representing a general sense of affectionate longing or admiration, the character's specific pronunciation shifted over time from the older sound suggested by "莫" to its present reading. A notable semantic development is its early associative use in texts to describe the final stage of a silkworm's life, a sense of conclusion or "end" borrowed from "莫", which subtly evolved into the more abstract emotional concept of yearning for what is past or unattainable, thereby solidifying its core meaning centered on the heart's inclinations.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我非常羡你。

Wǒ fēicháng xiànmù nǐ.

I admire you very much.

他羡她的成功。

Tā xiànmù tā de chénggōng.

He admires her success.

孩子们羡英雄。

Háizimen xiànmù yīngxióng.

Children admire heroes.

我仰他的勇气。

Wǒ yǎngmù tā de yǒngqì.

I admire his courage.

她对艺术充满爱

Tā duì yìshù chōngmǎn àimù.

She is full of admiration for art.

他的才华让人羡

Tā de cáihuá ràng rén xiànmù.

His talent makes people admire him.

他怀着敬的心情参观古迹。

Tā huáizhe jìngmù de xīnqíng cānguān gǔjì.

He visited the historical site with a feeling of reverence.

这种求完美的精神值得学习。

Zhè zhǒng mù qiú wánměi de jīngshén zhídé xuéxí.

This spirit of yearning for perfection is worth learning.