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莫名 (mò míng) — indescribable, inexplicable, nameless (of a feeling or quality)

Definition

莫名 describes a feeling that is hard to name or explain — usually a negative emotion like fear or sadness. Almost always appears before 的 + a noun (莫名的恐惧), not on its own.

adjective
indescribableinexplicablenameless (of a feeling or quality)

Examples

  • 莫名。
    Tā xīn lǐ yǒng qǐ yì zhǒng mò míng de kǒng jù.
    A nameless fear welled up in her heart.
  • ，莫名。
    Tīng dào zhè ge xiāo xi, tā gǎn dào mò míng de bēi shāng.
    Upon hearing the news, he felt an inexplicable sadness.
  • 莫名。
    Nà zhǒng mò míng de xī yǐn lì ràng wǒ wú fǎ lí kāi.
    That indescribable attraction made it impossible for me to leave.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

莫mòcannot
名míngname

莫 means cannot, and 名 means to name or describe.

Characters in this word

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

The shape of 莫 shows a sun sinking into bushes, meaning dusk.

Open 莫 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

名 puts 夕 (crescent moon) above 口 (mouth), showing a name spoken in the dark.

Open 名 →
Appears in
Emotions & Feelings

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