磨
mó
Meaning
- to grind
- to polish
- to wear down
- to waste time
- to pester
Definition
磨：指通过摩擦使物体表面变得光滑或锋利；也指消耗时间、拖延或纠缠不休。
Mó: To rub or grind to make smooth or sharp; also to waste time, delay, or pester.
Usage
“磨”可以表示物理上的摩擦打磨，如“磨刀”；也可以表示抽象意义上的消耗、拖延，如“磨时间”；还可以表示纠缠，如“软磨硬泡”。在口语中，“磨”常带有耐心、反复的意味。
"Mó" can refer to physical rubbing or grinding, e.g., "磨刀" (sharpen a knife); also to abstract consumption or delay, e.g., "磨时间" (kill time); and to pester, e.g., "软磨硬泡" (wear down by gentle persistence). In spoken language, it often implies patience or repetition.
Examples
- 1 他花了一下午磨刀，准备做菜。 (He spent an afternoon sharpening knives to prepare for cooking.)
- 2 别磨了，快做决定吧。 (Stop dawdling; make a decision quickly.)
- 3 这孩子一直磨着要买玩具。 (The child kept pestering to buy a toy.)
- 4 这个项目太磨人了，进度很慢。 (This project is so draining; progress is very slow.)
- 5 我不小心把鞋底磨破了。 (I accidentally wore out the sole of my shoe.)
- 6 她磨了半天，终于说服了妈妈。 (She nagged for a long time and finally convinced her mother.)
Put it into practice
Exam-style HSK drills with instant scoring and explanations.
Free · about 3 minutes · no account needed
Look up words like this on any website
The free HSK Training extension shows pinyin, meaning and HSK level when you hover Chinese text — anywhere on the web.