磨

mó, mò

石 + 麻

HSK 3.0Level 7

Definitions

mó (verb) to grind; to polish; to sharpen

mó (verb) to wear down; to waste time

mó (verb) to pester; to insist

mò (noun) grindstone

mò (verb) to grind; to turn round

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 石 represents the meaning and 麻 represents the sound.

Semantic: 石 Phonetic: 麻

About

磨 originally referred to the physical actions of grinding, rubbing, and polishing, and to the millstone or grinding wheel used to crush grain into powder. It is a phono-semantic compound: the semantic radical 石 (shí, 'stone') positioned at the base signifies the stone grinding tool or abrasive material, while the upper component 麻 (má, originally meaning 'hemp') acts exclusively as a phonetic, providing the sound. From this concrete sense of grinding stones together, the character's meaning extended to abstract concepts, such as enduring physical or mental hardship, wearing down someone's patience through persistence, and the meticulous refinement of a skill or artistic technique through repeated practice.

Etymology Hide

Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

磨刀不误砍柴工。

Mó dāo bú wù kǎn chái gōng.

Sharpening the axe will not delay the work of cutting firewood.

他总是喜欢在做事前磨蹭半天。

Tā zǒngshì xǐhuan zài zuò shì qián móceng bàntiān.

He always likes to dawdle for a long time before doing anything.

妈妈用石磨磨出了新鲜的豆浆。

Māma yòng shímò mó chūle xīnxiān de dòujiāng.

Mom used a stone mill to grind fresh soy milk.

多年的苦难磨炼了他坚强的意志。

Duōnián de kǔnàn móliànle tā jiānqiáng de yìzhì.

Years of hardship tempered his strong will.

学习书法需要耐心地磨墨。

Xuéxí shūfǎ xūyào nàixīn de mómò.

Learning calligraphy requires patiently grinding the ink stick.

他晚上睡觉有磨牙的习惯。

Tā wǎnshang shuìjiào yǒu mó yá de xíguàn.

He has the habit of grinding his teeth while sleeping at night.

这套繁琐的审批程序真是磨人。

Zhè tào fánsuǒ de shěnpī chéngxù zhēnshi mó rén.

This cumbersome approval process is really wearisome.

岁月的磨蚀让石碑上的字迹变得模糊。

Suìyuè de móshí ràng shíbēi shàng de zìjì biàn dé móhu.

The erosion of time has made the inscriptions on the stone tablet blurry.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 石

Component: 麻

磨