挪窝 (nuó wō) — to move (to another place); to move house; (dialect) to move to the parental home after childbirth (for a new mother)

Definition

A colloquial verb for moving to a new place, especially one's home — literally 'shift one's nest'. The second sense, going back to one's parents' home after childbirth, is a dialectal/custom usage tied to postpartum tradition.

verb
to move (to another place)to move house(dialect) to move to the parental home after childbirth (for a new mother)

Examples

  • 挪窝。
    Tā dǎ suàn míng nián nuó wō dào jiāo qū qù zhù.
    He plans to move to the suburbs next year.
  • ，。
    Wǒ zài zhè zhù le shí nián, cóng lái méi nuó guò wō.
    I've lived here for ten years and never moved.
  • 挪窝。
    Tā shēng wán hái zi jiù huí niáng jia nuó wō le.
    After giving birth, she went back to her parents' home to stay (move to parental home).

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

挪nuómove
窝wōnest

The action 挪, to shift, is applied to 窝, a nest or dwelling, giving the sense of moving place.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
那
那nà挪nuó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

挪 pairs 扌 (hand) with 那, which gives its sound.

Open 挪 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 窩; 窝 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
穴穴xuécave
Sound part声符shēngfú
咼
咼wāi窩wō
Same sound today

The traditional form 窩 uses 穴, a cave, for meaning and 咼 for sound; the simplified 窝 is a later shorthand.

Open 窝 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.