寞

mò

宀 + 莫

Definitions

mò (adjective) lonely; lonesome

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 莫 represents the sound.

Semantic: 宀 Phonetic: 莫

About

寞 is a phono-semantic compound made up of 宀 (roof, house, dwelling) as the semantic component and 莫 as the phonetic component. It conveys loneliness, solitude, and the quiet stillness of an empty or unoccupied place. The roof radical anchors this abstract sense of isolation in the concrete experience of being alone in a domestic space. The character appears almost solely in compound words that describe a silent, solitary atmosphere, entirely lacking human interaction or companionship.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我常常感到寂寞。

Wǒ chángcháng gǎndào jìmò.

I often feel lonely.

没有朋友会很寂寞。

Méiyǒu péngyou huì hěn jìmò.

Without friends, one will be very lonely.

他走了，我感到寂寞。

Tā zǒu le, wǒ gǎndào jìmò.

He left, and I feel lonely.

在空旷的房间里，他感到寂寞。

Zài kōngkuàng de fángjiān lǐ, tā gǎndào jìmò.

In the empty room, he feels lonely.

每当夜晚来临，寂寞便涌上心头。

Měi dāng yèwǎn láilín, jìmò biàn yǒng shàng xīntóu.

Whenever night falls, loneliness wells up in my heart.

寂寞像一片乌云，笼罩着他的心。

Jìmò xiàng yī piàn wūyún, lǒngzhào zhe tā de xīn.

Loneliness is like a dark cloud, enveloping his heart.

战胜寂寞需要勇气和友谊。

Zhànshèng jìmò xūyào yǒngqì hé yǒuyì.

Overcoming loneliness requires courage and friendship.

尽管身处人群之中，他依然无法摆脱深深的寂寞。

Jǐnguǎn shēn chǔ rénqún zhī zhōng, tā yīrán wúfǎ bǎituō shēnshēn de jìmò.

Even though he is in the crowd, he still cannot get rid of the deep loneliness.

Related Characters

Component: 宀

Component: 莫

寞