消磨 (xiāo mó) — to while away (time); to wear down, to sap (patience, enthusiasm, will, etc.)

Definition

A two-sense verb: 'to while away (time)' (消磨时间) and 'to wear down' (enthusiasm, will). 与 消耗 (consume resources) and 磨损 (physical wear) differ — 消磨 targets time or intangible spirit, not material or energy.

verb
to while away (time)to wear downto sap (patience, enthusiasm, will, etc.)

Examples

  • 消磨。
    Zhōu mò wǒ cháng cháng yòng kàn diàn yǐng lái xiāo mó shí jiān.
    I often while away time by watching movies on weekends.
  • 消磨。
    Zhè zhǒng wú liáo de gōng zuò huì xiāo mó rén de rè qíng.
    This kind of boring work saps people's enthusiasm.
  • 消磨。
    Fēng yǔ bǎ shí bēi shàng de zì dōu xiāo mó diào le.
    Wind and rain have worn away all the characters on the stone tablet.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

消xiāoconsume
磨mógrind

消 (consume) and 磨 (grind) combine to mean wear away or pass time.

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
氵Written in full as水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
肖
肖xiào消xiāo
Same sound today

消 has 氵 (water) beside 肖. The water part connects to putting out or making something vanish, and 肖 gives the sound.

Open 消 →

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
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
靡
靡mí磨mó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

磨 combines 石, showing rock, with 靡 for the sound.

Open 磨 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Change & ProcessTime (Abstract)

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