拇

mǔ

Rank #3031

Definitions

mǔ (noun) thumb; big toe

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 母 represents the sound.

Semantic: 扌 Phonetic: 母

About

The character "拇", which signifies the thumb, is formed by combining the hand radical with the component "母", the latter functioning phonetically while also evoking a conceptual association with primacy or origin, akin to the foundational role of a mother. This etymological connection underscores the thumb's perceived importance as the primary and most robust digit of the hand. Over time, the semantic scope of "拇" has remained narrowly and consistently fixed upon the thumb, with no broadening or shift in its application, and its structural composition has been maintained without substantive modification.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我的拇指受伤了。

Wǒ de mǔ zhǐ shòu shāng le.

My thumb is injured.

他用拇指按按钮。

Tā yòng mǔ zhǐ àn àn niǔ.

He presses the button with his thumb.

大拇指是手指中最粗的。

Dà mǔ zhǐ shì shǒu zhǐ zhōng zuì cū de.

The thumb is the thickest finger.

她拇指上戴着一枚戒指。

Tā mǔ zhǐ shàng dài zhe yī méi jiè zhǐ.

She is wearing a ring on her thumb.

如果你拇指疼，就应该休息。

Rú guǒ nǐ mǔ zhǐ téng, jiù yīng gāi xiū xi.

If your thumb hurts, you should rest.

医生检查了他的拇指，发现没有骨折。

Yī shēng jiǎn chá le tā de mǔ zhǐ, fā xiàn méi yǒu gǔ zhé.

The doctor examined his thumb and found no fracture.

在操作智能手机时，拇指常常被过度使用。

Zài cāo zuò zhì néng shǒu jī shí, mǔ zhǐ cháng cháng bèi guò dù shǐ yòng.

When operating smartphones, thumbs are often overused.

尽管拇指短小，但它对手部的灵活性至关重要。

Jǐn guǎn mǔ zhǐ duǎn xiǎo, dàn tā duì shǒu bù de líng huó xìng zhì guān zhòng yào.

Although the thumb is short, it is crucial for the flexibility of the hand.

Related Characters

Component: 扌

Component: 母

Components

扌母

拇