摩 (mā) — (bound form) to rub, to stroke
Definition
摩 (mā) is a bound morph meaning 'to rub, to stroke' — it only appears as the first half of 双音 verbs like 摩挲 (māsuō) and 摩擦 (mócā). On its own it carries no tone and no standalone use.
bound form
to rubto stroke
Examples
- 。Tā qīng qīng mā suō zhe māo de máo.She gently stroked the cat's fur.
- 。Lǎo rén ài mā suō nà zhī lǎo yān dǒu.The old man loves to stroke that old pipe.
- 。Tā fǎn fù mā suō zhe nà zhāng zhào piàn.He repeatedly stroked that photo.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
摩 combines 手 (hand) with 麻; the hand part relates to the meaning, and 麻 gives the sound.
Appears in
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