默哀 (mò āi) — to stand in silent tribute; to observe a moment of silence (as a sign of mourning)

Definition

A formal verb meaning 'to observe a moment of silence' in mourning, usually for the deceased or disaster victims. It implies a public, collective act, often with people standing.

verb
to stand in silent tributeto observe a moment of silence (as a sign of mourning)

Examples

  • 默哀。
    Qǐng dà jiā wèi yù nàn zhě mò āi yì fēn zhōng.
    Please observe a minute of silence for the victims.
  • ，默哀！
    Quán tǐ qǐ lì, mò āi!
    All rise and observe a moment of silence!
  • ，默哀。
    Zhuī dào huì shàng, dà jiā xiàng shì zhě mò āi sān fēn zhōng.
    At the memorial service, everyone stood in silent tribute to the deceased for three minutes.

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.

默mòsilent
哀āimourn

'默' means silent, '哀' means mourn; together they picture mourning without sound.

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
犬犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
黑
黑hēi默mò
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

默 pairs 黑 with 犬 (dog), and 黑 gives the sound.

Open 默 →

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
衣
衣yī哀āi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哀 combines 口 (mouth) with 衣 (yī), which gives it its sound.

Open 哀 →

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