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渺茫 (miǎo máng) — distant and indistinct (of sights, sounds, or memories); uncertain; remote (of prospects, hopes, or possibilities)

Definition

Literary adjective used for two things that seem far and unclear: distant sights/sounds/memories, and hopes or chances that look unlikely to come true.

adjective
distant and indistinct (of sights, sounds, or memories)uncertainremote (of prospects, hopes, or possibilities)

Examples

  • 渺茫。
    Yuǎn chù de shān yǐng zài wù qì zhōng xiǎn de hěn miǎo máng.
    The distant mountain silhouettes appear very indistinct in the mist.
  • 渺茫，。
    Tā chéng gōng de xī wàng hěn miǎo máng, dàn hái zài nǔ lì.
    His hopes for success are very uncertain, but he's still working hard.
  • 渺茫。
    Jiù yuán duì zhǎo dào xìng cún zhě de kě néng xìng shí fēn miǎo máng.
    The rescue team's chances of finding survivors are extremely remote.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

渺miǎoremote
茫mángindistinct

渺 suggests vastness and remoteness, and 茫 suggests indistinctness.

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shuǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
眇
眇miǎo渺
Same sound today

渺 is built from 氵 (water) plus 眇, which gives the sound.

Open 渺 →

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
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
汒
汒máng茫máng
Same sound today

茫 has 艹 (grass) and 汒, which gives the sound máng.

Open 茫 →
Appears in
Abstract Concepts

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