verb #56,230

Meanings

  1. 1 to trace; to copy (a model exactly)
  2. 2 to imitate; to model after

Examples

Tā tōngguò línmó zìtiè lái xué shūfǎ.
He learns calligraphy by tracing the master's copybook.
Zhè fú huà shì duì míngzuò de móběn.
This painting is an exact copy of a famous original.

Tips

mistakes
Don't confuse with its lookalikes: (to trace, hand at bottom) vs (model/mold, tree at left) vs (to rub). 临摹 specifically means tracing or copying a calligraphy or painting model.

Components

radical
shǒu
hand
Bottom is the full hand radical (written underneath rather than as the side-form ). It marks a hand action: tracing a model stroke by stroke with brush and hand.
phonetic
do not; none
Top supplies the sound (mò → mó). It is a frequent phonetic in the mó/mù family — compare model, membrane, curtain.

Stroke Order