Definition
磨 (mó) means to grind, polish, wear down, or pester — it covers physical rubbing, consuming time/energy, and nagging someone. Compared to 消磨 (xiāo mó), which focuses on wearing down abstract things (patience, time), 磨 can also be physical; 纠缠 (jiū chán) implies getting tangled in disputes, while 磨 is persistent asking for something; 打磨 (dǎ mó) is deliberate polishing/refining, whereas 磨 can be unintentional wear.
verb
to grindto rubto polishto sharpento wear downto consume (time, energy)to while awayto pesterto nagto keep on at someone
Easily confused
- 嘛malook-alike(modal particle) marks a statement as obvious or self-evident, used in explanations and gentle suggestions
- 摸mōsound-aliketo touch, to feel (with the hand)
- 矿kuànglook-alikemine (a place where minerals are extracted)
- 抹mǒsound-alike(verb) to apply, to smear (ointment, cream, makeup, etc.)
- 麻málook-alikenumb, tingling (from lack of circulation or spicy food)
- 末mòsound-alikethe end, final stage (of a period of time or an object)
- 膜mósound-alike(biology) membrane
- 墨mòsound-alikeink stick (solid ink for calligraphy)
Examples
- 。Tā měitiān zǎochen dōu zài yuànzi li mó dāo.He sharpens his knife in the yard every morning.
- 磨，。Bié zài zhèli mó shíjiān le, kuài qù zuòu zuò zuòyè.Stop killing time here — go do your homework.
- 磨。Zhè háizi yìzhí mó zhe māma yào mǎi wánjù.The child kept pestering his mother to buy a toy.
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