模 mó model
model; pattern; standard; to copy; to imitate
How to remember 模: 木 tree + 莫 cannot = model. From a piece of tree trunk the carpenter carves a small boat, and his apprentice cannot stop copying his model.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
模 = 木 tree + 莫 cannot
- 木 tree meaning
- 莫 cannot sound
From a piece of tree trunk the carpenter carves a small boat, and his apprentice cannot stop copying his model.
How it came to be
The tree gives the meaning and the right part gives the sound.
How it is used
- A genuine polyphone: mó for "pattern, model, to imitate" (模式 móshì "mode", 模仿 mófǎng "to imitate", 规模 guīmó "scale"), but mú for "shape, mold" in a narrower set of words like 模样 múyàng "appearance/look" and 模子 múzi "mold".
- 模糊 móhu (mó reading) means "vague/blurry", used both literally (blurry image) and figuratively (a vague plan or memory).
- 模特儿 mótèr "(fashion) model" is a loanword-flavored term, distinct from 模仿 "to imitate" though they share the root idea of representing/copying a form.
- When you see 模 describing a person's looks or a physical mold, check for the mú reading; everywhere else mó is the default.
Words with 模
Example sentences
- 他爱好收集模型。 Tā àihào shōují móxíng.His hobby is collecting models.
- 这两姐妹长得一模一样。 Zhè liǎng jiěmèi zhǎng de yìmú yíyàng.The two sisters look exactly the same.
- 她们几乎长得一模一样。 Tāmen jīhū zhǎng de yīmú-yīyàng.The two of them are virtually identical.