妄动 (wàng dòng) — to act rashly; to take reckless action

Definition

妄动 means 'to act rashly or recklessly,' usually about a deliberate but ill-advised action. It is stronger and more literary than plain 乱动, which can just mean moving things around.

verb
to act rashlyto take reckless action

Examples

  • ，妄动。
    Zài qíng kuàng bù míng de shí hou, bú yào qīng yì wàng dòng.
    Don't act rashly when the situation is unclear.
  • 妄动。
    Tā yīn wàng dòng ér dǎo zhì le yán zhòng de hòu guǒ.
    His reckless action led to serious consequences.
  • 妄动。
    Shàng jí mìng lìng tā men zàn shí bù kě wàng dòng.
    The superiors ordered them not to act rashly for the time being.

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.

妄wàngrashly
动dòngact

妄 conveys rashly and 动 conveys act, so the word means act rashly.

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
女女nǚwoman
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng妄wàng
Same sound today

妄 combines 亡, which supplies the sound, with 女, a woman.

Open 妄 →

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
重
重zhòng動dòng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

Open 动 →

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