拇

mǔ

扌 + 母

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 is a phonosemantic compound: the left side is the radical 扌, a variant of 手 ('hand'), signaling that the meaning relates to the hand. The right side is the phonetic component 母 (mǔ), which means 'mother' but functions here only to provide the sound. The combined character refers specifically to the thumb, the first and thickest finger, essential for gripping and manipulation. It is the standard term for the thumb.

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

拇