寂寞

jìmò

adjective HSK 7 #4,272

Meanings

1 lonely; lonesome
2 solitary

Characters

quiet; still; lonely

lonely; deserted

Both characters share the roof radical 宀, evoking being alone under a roof.

Examples

一个人住有时候很寂寞。

Yí ge rén zhù yǒu shíhou hěn jìmò.

Living alone is sometimes very lonely.

他离开家乡后感到很寂寞。

Tā líkāi jiāxiāng hòu gǎndào hěn jìmò.

He felt very lonely after leaving his hometown.

Tips

usage

寂寞 emphasizes the emotional feeling of loneliness (wanting companionship), while 孤独 (gūdú) emphasizes the state of being alone (which may be by choice). You can be 孤独 without being 寂寞.

Stroke Order

寂 jì

寞 mò