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木 (mù) — (bound form) wood; tree; timber; (bound form) wooden; made of wood; (bound form) numb; insensitive; stupid

Definition

A bound morpheme (always part of a compound) with two main uses: the literal 'wood/timber' sense (木头, 木匠), and the figurative 'numb/stiff' sense (麻木). It never stands alone as a word.

bound form
woodtreetimberwoodenmade of woodnumbinsensitivestupid

Examples

  • 。
    Zhè zhāng zhuō zi shì yòng mù tou zuò de.
    This table is made of wood.
  • 。
    Tā de tuǐ yǐ jīng má mù le.
    His leg has become numb.
  • 。
    Zhè wèi mù jiàng shǒu yì hěn hǎo.
    This carpenter's craftsmanship is very good.

Origin

Pictograph
六书liùshū
象形xiàngxíng

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

木 is drawn as a tree, with branches above and roots below.

Appears in
Materials & SubstancesTrees & Forest3000 Most Frequent Chinese Words5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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