出没 (chū mò) — to appear and disappear; to come and go (often of ghosts, animals, or criminals); to haunt (a place)

Definition

Used for things that appear and disappear unpredictably in a place — wild animals, ghosts, criminals — often implying a lurking presence or danger. Often paired with 常常 or 有 in a 有X出没 structure.

verb
to appear and disappearto come and go (often of ghosts, animals, or criminals)to haunt (a place)

Examples

  • 出没
    Zhè piàn sēn lín lǐ cháng yǒu yě shòu chū mò.
    Wild beasts often haunt this forest.
  • 出没
    Chuán shuō nà zuò gǔ zhái yǒu guǐ hún chū mò.
    Legend has it that ghosts haunt that old mansion.
  • 出没
    Jǐng fāng tí xǐng shì mín, zhè yí dài yè jiān yǒu xiǎo tōu chū mò.
    The police warn residents that thieves haunt this area at night.

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