出没

出沒

chūmò

verb #8,896

Meanings

1 to appear and disappear; to haunt
2 to come and go; to be spotted (in an area)

Characters

to go out; to appear

to sink; to disappear; to submerge

Appear + disappear — something that comes and goes mysteriously.

Examples

这一带经常有野狼出没。

Zhè yídài jīngcháng yǒu yěláng chūmò.

Wild wolves are frequently spotted in this area.

据说这栋楼闹鬼，有鬼魂出没。

Jùshuō zhè dòng lóu nàoguǐ, yǒu guǐhún chūmò.

They say this building is haunted, with ghosts appearing.

小心，这里有蛇出没。

Xiǎoxīn, zhèlǐ yǒu shé chūmò.

Be careful, there are snakes around here.

Tips

usage

出没 implies something appearing unpredictably or lurking in an area. It's often used for dangerous animals, criminals, or supernatural beings. The pattern is 有...出没 (there are ... lurking/spotted).

mistakes

The 没 here is pronounced mò (4th tone, 'to submerge/disappear'), not méi (2nd tone, 'not have'). This is a different meaning of the character.

Stroke Order

出 chū

没 méi