莫

莫 U+83AB, 莫 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-83AB ← 莪 [U+83AA] CJK Unified Ideographs 莬 → [U+83AC]

Translingual

Han character

莫 (radical 140, 艸+7, 10 strokes, cangjie input 廿日大 (TAK), four-corner 4443₀, composition ⿱艹旲)

Derived characters

• 募 墓 幕 暮 慕 驀 (蓦)
• 模 膜 漠 謨 (谟) 獏 貘

References

• KangXi: page 1035, character 13
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31078
• Dae Jaweon: page 1494, character 13
• Hanyu Da Zidian: volume 5, page 3217, character 15
• Unihan data for U+83AB

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Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 莫
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu Slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (莫) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
	Old Chinese
蟆	*mraː
鬕	*mraːɡs
饃	*maːl
模	*maː
摸	*maː, *maːɡ
嫫	*maː
謨	*maː
膜	*maː, *maːɡ
摹	*maː
暮	*maːɡs
慕	*maːɡs
募	*maːɡs
墓	*maːɡs
慔	*maːɡs
莫	*maːɡ
寞	*maːɡ
漠	*maːɡ
幕	*maːɡ
鏌	*maːɡ
瘼	*maːɡ
鄚	*maːɡ
瞙	*maːɡ
嗼	*maːɡ, *mraːɡ
塻	*maːɡ
貘	*mraːɡ
驀	*mraːɡ

Pictogram (象形) – the sun (日) sinking into the bushes (屮); dusk. Original form of 暮 (OC *maːɡs, “dusk”).

The bottom was later distorted into 大.

Etymology 1

simp. and trad.		莫

From 無 (OC *ma, “there is no”) + distributive suffix *-k (Schuessler, 2007).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): mò (mo⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˋ

  (Chengdu, SP): mo²

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mok⁶
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): mo̍k
• Min Bei (KCR): mŏ̤
• Min Dong (BUC): mŏ̤h / mŏk
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): bo̍k / bo̍h

  (Teochew, Peng'im): mog⁸

• Wu (Wiktionary): moq (T5)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: mò
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋ
    • Wade–Giles: mo⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moh
    • IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: mo²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: mo
    • IPA ^(key): /mo²¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: mok⁶
    • Yale: mohk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mok⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: mog⁶
    • IPA ^(key): /mɔːk̚²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mo̍k
    • Hakka Romanization System: mog
    • Hagfa Pinyim: mog⁶
    • IPA: /mok̚⁵/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mŏ̤
    • IPA ^(key): /mɔ²⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: mŏ̤h / mŏk
    • IPA ^(key): /moʔ⁵/, /mouʔ⁵/

Note:

• mŏ̤h - vernacular (“don't”);
• mŏk - literary.

Min Nan

• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, mainstream Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bo̍k
  • Tâi-lô: bo̍k
  • Phofsit Daibuun: bok
  • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bɔk̚¹²¹/
  • IPA (Quanzhou): /bɔk̚²⁴/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /bɔk̚⁴/
• (Hokkien: mainstream Taiwanese, Zhangzhou)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bo̍h
  • Tâi-lô: bo̍h
  • Phofsit Daibuun: boih
  • IPA (Zhangzhou): /boʔ¹²¹/
  • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bɤʔ⁴/
  • IPA (Taipei): /boʔ⁴/

Note:

• bo̍k - literary;
• bo̍h - vernacular.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: mog⁸
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mo̍k
  • IPA ^(key): /mok̚⁴/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: moq (T5)
  • IPA ^(key): /mʊʔ¹²/

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• Dialectal data▼

Variety	Location	edit 莫
Mandarin	Beijing	/mo⁵¹/
	Harbin	/mɤ⁵³/
	Tianjin	/mo⁵³/
	Jinan	/mə²¹/
	Qingdao	/mə⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/mo²⁴/
	Xi'an	/mo²¹/
	Xining	/mɔ⁴⁴/
	Yinchuan	/muə¹³/
	Lanzhou	/mə¹³/
	Ürümqi	/mɤ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/mo²¹³/
	Chengdu	/mo³¹/
	Guiyang	/mo²¹/
	Kunming	/mo³¹/
	Nanjing	/moʔ⁵/
	Hefei	/mɐʔ⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/maʔ²/
	Pingyao	/mʌʔ⁵³/
	Hohhot	/maʔ⁴³/
Wu	Shanghai	/moʔ¹/
	Suzhou	/noʔ³/
	Hangzhou	/moʔ²/
	Wenzhou	/mo²¹³/
Hui	Shexian	/mɔʔ²¹/
	Tunxi	/mo¹¹/
Xiang	Changsha	/mo²⁴/
	Xiangtan	/mo²⁴/
Gan	Nanchang	/mɔʔ²/ /mɵʔ²/
Hakka	Meixian	/mok̚⁵/
	Taoyuan	/mok̚⁵⁵/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/mɔk̚²/
	Nanning	/mɔk̚²²/
	Hong Kong	/mɔk̚²/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/bɔk̚⁵/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/moʔ⁵/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/mz̩²⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/mok̚⁵/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/vo³³/ 不要 /mo³³/ 姓

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• Middle Chinese: /mɑk̚/▼

Rime
Character	莫
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	鐸 (103)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	慕各切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mɑk̚/
Pan Wuyun	/mɑk̚/
Shao Rongfen	/mɑk̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mak̚/
Li Rong	/mɑk̚/
Wang Li	/mɑk̚/
Bernard Karlgren	/mɑk̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mò

• Old Chinese▼

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*mˤak/

  (Zhengzhang): /*maːɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	莫	莫
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	mò	mò
Middle Chinese	‹ mak ›	‹ mak ›
Old Chinese	/*mˤak/	/*mˤak/
English	there is no X such that X	deliberate (v.) (loan)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	莫
Reading #	1/1
No.	9252
Phonetic component	莫
Rime group	鐸
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	莫
Old Chinese	/*maːɡ/
Notes	從日在茻中，暮初文，小徐茻亦聲

Definitions

莫

1. none; nothing; not anything
2. (literary or dialectal Mandarin, dialectal Cantonese, Gan, Hakka, Min Dong) do not; don't; must not
3. particle indicating a rhetorical question
4. A surname​.

Compounds

Derived terms from 莫

• 一籌莫展／一筹莫展 (yīchóumòzhǎn)
• 八莫 (Bāmò)
• 公莫舞
• 兵機莫測／兵机莫测
• 切莫
• 半籌莫展／半筹莫展
• 噬臍莫及／噬脐莫及
• 干將莫邪／干将莫邪 (gānjiāng-mòyé)
• 廣莫門／广莫门
• 廣莫風／广莫风
• 後悔莫及／后悔莫及
• 德音莫違／德音莫违
• 悔之莫及
• 愛莫之助／爱莫之助
• 愛莫能助／爱莫能助 (àimònéngzhù)
• 折莫
• 敢莫是
• 望塵莫及／望尘莫及
• 杖莫如信
• 概莫能外
• 欽佩莫名／钦佩莫名
• 沉冤莫白
• 無適無莫／无适无莫
• 玄妙莫測／玄妙莫测
• 百口莫辯／百口莫辩 (bǎi kǒu mò biàn)
• 百喙莫辯／百喙莫辩 (bǎihuìmòbiàn)
• 百思莫解
• 百身莫贖／百身莫赎
• 百辭莫辯／百辞莫辩
• 相視莫逆／相视莫逆
• 真偽莫辨／真伪莫辨
• 眾寡莫敵／众寡莫敌
• 神機莫測／神机莫测
• 神祕莫測／神祕莫测
• 神鬼莫測／神鬼莫测
• 窮寇莫追／穷寇莫追
• 罪莫大焉

• 舉世莫比／举世莫比
• 莫三比克 (Mòsānbǐkè)
• 莫不 (mòbù)
• 莫不是 (mòbùshì)
• 莫之與京／莫之与京
• 莫予毒也
• 莫余毒也
• 莫可名狀／莫可名状
• 莫可奈何
• 莫名 (mòmíng)
• 莫名其妙 (mòmíngqímiào)
• 莫報萬一／莫报万一 (mò bào wànyī)
• 莫大 (mòdà)
• 莫如 (mòrú)
• 莫展一籌／莫展一筹
• 莫干山 (Mògān Shān)
• 莫得
• 莫怪
• 莫愁
• 莫愁湖
• 莫措手足
• 莫教
• 莫敢是
• 莫敢誰何／莫敢谁何 (mò gǎn shuí hé)
• 莫斯科 (Mòsīkē)
• 莫明其妙
• 莫是
• 莫曼斯克
• 莫此為甚／莫此为甚
• 莫比
• 莫測／莫测 (mòcè)
• 莫測高深／莫测高深
• 莫當／莫当 (mòdāng)
• 莫知所措
• 莫知所為／莫知所为
• 莫知所謂／莫知所谓

• 莫耳
• 莫若 (mòruò)
• 莫衷一是
• 莫衷壹是
• 莫說／莫说
• 莫辨楮葉／莫辨楮叶
• 莫逆 (mònì)
• 莫逆之交
• 莫逆之友
• 莫逆之契
• 莫逆交
• 莫過／莫过
• 莫道
• 莫邪 (Mòyé)
• 莫難道／莫难道
• 莫非 (mòfēi)
• 莫須有／莫须有 (mòxūyǒu)
• 莫顯／莫显
• 莫高 (Mògāo)
• 莫高窟 (Mògāokū)
• 萬夫莫敵／万夫莫敌
• 萬夫莫當／万夫莫当
• 落莫
• 著莫
• 諱莫如深／讳莫如深
• 變化莫測／变化莫测 (biànhuàmòcè)
• 變幻莫測／变幻莫测 (biànhuànmòcè)
• 遮莫
• 針餌莫減／针饵莫减
• 錯莫／错莫
• 門高莫對／门高莫对
• 雌雄莫辨
• 鞭長莫及／鞭长莫及 (biānchángmòjí)
• 高深莫測／高深莫测
• 鬼神莫測／鬼神莫测
• 鬼神莫窺／鬼神莫窥

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		莫
alt. forms		勿 嘜／唛 麥／麦 賣／卖

Contraction of 毋愛／毋爱 (m̄-ài).

Pronunciation

• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): mài

  (Teochew, Peng'im): mai³

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• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Lukang, Yilan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mài
    • Tâi-lô: mài
    • Phofsit Daibuun: maix
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /mãɪ²¹/
    • IPA (Taipei): /mãɪ¹¹/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: mai³
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mài
    • IPA ^(key): /mai²¹³/

Definitions

莫 (Min Nan)

1. do not; don't; must not
2. to not want

Etymology 3

simp. and trad.		莫

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mù (mu⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄨˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mou⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: mù
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄨˋ
    • Wade–Giles: mu⁴
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: muh
    • IPA ^(key): /mu⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: mou⁶
    • Yale: mouh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mou⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: mou⁶
    • IPA ^(key): /mou̯²²/

Definitions

莫

1. ^† Original form of 暮 (mù, “dusk; late”).
2. ^† a kind of vegetable

Compounds

Derived terms from 莫

• 莫春

• 莫景

• 闇莫

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Japanese

Kanji

莫

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

1. late
2. end
3. not be
4. must not

Readings

• Goon: も (mo); まく (maku)
• Kan’on: ぼ (bo); ばく (baku)
• Kun: くれ (kure, 莫れ); ない (nai, 莫い); なかれ (nakare, 莫れ)

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Korean

Hanja

莫 • (mak, mo) (hangeul 막, 모, revised mak, mo, McCune–Reischauer mak, mo, Yale mak, mo)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

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Vietnamese

Han character

莫 (mạc)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.