默哀

mò'āi

verb #18,882

Meanings

1 to observe a moment of silence
2 to mourn in silence

Characters

Literally 'silent grief' - to grieve in silence.

Examples

HSK 5

全体人员默哀三分钟。

Quántǐ rényuán mò'āi sān fēnzhōng.

All personnel observed three minutes of silence.

HSK 7-9

我们为遇难者默哀。

Wǒmen wèi yùnànzhě mò'āi.

We observed a moment of silence for the victims.

Tips

culture

默哀 is a formal ritual at memorial ceremonies in China. On national mourning days, the entire country observes a moment of silence, and internet entertainment content may be temporarily restricted.

Stroke Order

默 mò

哀 āi