寞 (mò): lonely

Meanings

1 lonely
2 lonesome
3 quiet

Characters

寞

mò

lonely; lonesome

Examples

一个人生活，他常常感到寂寞。

Yí gè rén shēnghuó, tā chángcháng gǎndào jìmò.

Living alone, he often feels lonely.

退休后，老人过着落寞的生活。

Tuìxiū hòu, lǎorén guò zhe luòmò de shēnghuó.

After retiring, the old man led a lonely and quiet life.

Tips

usage

寞 almost always pairs with another character: 寂寞 (lonely) and 落寞 (forlorn, dejected). It describes an emotional emptiness, not just being physically alone.

Components

radical

宀 mián

roof (radical)

The roof radical 宀 caps the character; an empty house under a roof evokes the stillness and solitude this word describes.

phonetic

莫 mò

none; do not

Below, 莫 supplies the sound exactly. Its own sense of "nothing, none" also fits the feeling of emptiness.

Stroke Order

寞 mò

Related Words

寂寞 jìmò HSK 7-9 #4,272

lonely; lonesome / solitary

寂寞空庭春欲晚 jìmò kōng tíng chūn yù wǎn

in the lonely empty courtyard, spring is about to end / a deserted courtyard with spring drawing to a close / (lit.) lonesome empty courtyard, spring wishes to grow late

落寞 luòmò #45,191

lonely / desolate / forlorn

不甘寂寞 bùgān-jìmò #62,657

unwilling to be left out / unwilling to remain idle or in obscurity / itching to get involved

淑静 shūjìng #72,779

gentle and quiet / demure / tender

伶仃 língdīng #67,162

alone and helpless / lonely / frail and isolated

孤单 gūdān HSK 7-9 #3,458

lonely; alone / solitary

静 jìng HSK 3 #3,349

still / quiet / calm

娴静 xiánjìng #63,313

gentle and refined; demure / graceful and quiet (especially of a woman)

沉默 chénmò HSK 4 #3,086

silent; quiet; taciturn / silence; to remain silent