墨

墨 U+58A8, 墨 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-58A8 ← 墧 [U+58A7] CJK Unified Ideographs 墩 → [U+58A9]

墨 U+FA3A, 墨 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-FA3A ← 塀 [U+FA39] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 層 → [U+FA3B]

Translingual

Han character

Stroke order

Stroke order (Japan)

墨 (Kangxi radical 32, 土+12 in Chinese, 土+11 in Japanese, 15 strokes in Chinese, 14 strokes in Japanese, cangjie input 田土火土 (WGFG), four-corner 6010₄, composition ⿱黑土(GTHKV) or ⿱黒土(J))

Derived characters

• 嚜 濹 𣞪 爅 𦢓 䁼 纆(𬙊) 𦪷 䘃 㕓 癦

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 238, character 40
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 5469
• Dae Jaweon: page 478, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 487, character 3
• Unihan data for U+58A8

• Unihan data for U+FA3A

Chinese

simp. and trad.		墨

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (黑) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
嚜	*mrɯɡs
嫼	*ʔmrɯːd
墨	*mlɯːɡ
默	*mlɯːɡ
纆	*mɯːɡ
黑	*hmlɯːɡ
潶	*hmlɯːɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *mlɯːɡ): phonetic 黑 (OC *hmlɯːɡ) + semantic 土 (“soil”).

Etymology

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-maŋ ~ s-mak. Cognate with 黑 (OC *hmlɯːɡ, “black”).

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): mò (mo⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄛˋ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): me²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): мый (mɨy, I)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mak⁶
• Gan (Wiktionary): met⁶
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): me̍t

  (Hailu, HRS): med^ˋ

  (Meixian, Guangdong): mêd⁶

• Jin (Wiktionary): mieh⁴ / me³
• Northern Min (KCR): mà̤
• Eastern Min (BUC): mĕ̤k
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): bah⁷ / beh⁷
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): ba̍k / ba̍t / be̍k / bia̍k / be̍rk

  (Teochew, Peng'im): bhag⁸

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁸meq
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): me⁶

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mò
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄛˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mò
    • Wade–Giles: mo⁴
    • Yale: mwò
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: moh
    • Palladius: мо (mo)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mu̯ɔ⁵¹/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: me²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: me
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɛ²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: мый (mɨy, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mei²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: mak⁶
    • Yale: mahk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mak⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: meg⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐk̚²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: met⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɛt̚⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: me̍t
    • Hakka Romanization System: med
    • Hagfa Pinyim: med⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /met̚⁵/
  • (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
    • Hakka Romanization System: med^ˋ
    • Sinological IPA: /met²/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: mêd⁶
    • Sinological IPA: /mɛt̚⁵/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: mieh⁴ / me³
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /miəʔ²/, /mɤ⁴⁵/

Note: me3 - in 黑墨鏡.

• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mà̤
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɛ⁴²/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: mĕ̤k
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /møyʔ⁵/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian, Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: bah⁷
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: ba̍h
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /paʔ⁴/
  • (Putian, Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: beh⁷
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: be̍h
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɛʔ⁴/

Note:

• bah7 - vernacular;
• beh7 - literary.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Nan'an, Tong'an, Anxi)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ba̍k
    • Tâi-lô: ba̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bak
    • IPA (Singapore): /bak̚⁴³/
    • IPA (Hui'an, Nan'an): /bak̚²³/
    • IPA (Tong'an): /bak̚⁵³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bak̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /bak̚⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /bak̚²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ba̍t
    • Tâi-lô: ba̍t
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bat
    • IPA (Xiamen): /bat̚⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bat̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bat̚²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Tong'an, Anxi, Nan'an)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: be̍k
    • Tâi-lô: bi̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: bek
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪk̚¹²¹/
    • IPA (Nan'an): /biɪk̚²³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /biɪk̚⁴/
    • IPA (Tong'an): /biɪk̚⁵³/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bia̍k
    • Tâi-lô: bia̍k
    • Phofsit Daibuun: biak
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /biak̚²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Nan'an)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: be̍rk
    • Tâi-lô: be̍rk
    • IPA (Nan'an): /bək̚²³/
Note:
• ba̍k - vernacular;
• ba̍t - vernacular (variant in 墨賊);
• be̍k/bia̍k/be̍rk - literary;
• be̍rk - southern Nan'an (水頭鎮 area).
• • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: bhag⁸
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: ba̍k
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /bak̚⁴/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁸meq
    • MiniDict: meh^入
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁵meq
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /məʔ¹²/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: me⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɤ̞²⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: mok

Rime
Character	墨
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	德 (131)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	莫北切
Baxter	mok
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mək̚/
Pan Wuyun	/mək̚/
Shao Rongfen	/mək̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mək̚/
Li Rong	/mək̚/
Wang Li	/mək̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mək̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mò
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mak6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.mˤək/

  (Zhengzhang): /*mlɯːɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	墨
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	mò
Middle Chinese	‹ mok ›
Old Chinese	/*C.mˁək/
English	ink
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	墨
Reading #	1/1
No.	5106
Phonetic component	黑
Rime group	職
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	墨
Old Chinese	/*mlɯːɡ/

Definitions

墨

1. Chinese ink or ink in general

   磨墨  ―  mó mò  ―  to grind an inkstick (against an inkstone)

2. black; ink-coloured; dark
3. (historical) to tattoo the face (e.g. as a punishment in Ancient China)
4. (figurative) to embezzle
5. (figurative) someone's poetry, essays, handwriting, or paintings
6. (figurative) learning; knowledge
7. short for 墨家 (Mòjiā, “Mohism”)
8. short for 墨西哥 (Mòxīgē, “Mexico”)
9. a surname

   墨翟  ―  Mò Dí  ―  Mo Di (full name of Mozi)

10. (Cantonese) alternative form of 癦 (“mole; nevus; pigmented spot on the skin”)

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 墨 (“ink (inkstick)”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		墨
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		墨
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	墨
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	墨
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	墨
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	墨
	Wuhan	墨
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	黑墨
	Hefei	黑墨
Cantonese	Guangzhou	墨
	Hong Kong	墨
	Yangjiang	墨
Hakka	Meixian	墨
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	墨
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	墨
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	墨
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	墨
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	墨
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	墨
Jin	Taiyuan	墨子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	墨
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	墨
Southern Min	Xiamen	墨
	Chaozhou	墨
Wu	Shanghai	墨
	Suzhou	墨
	Wenzhou	墨
Xiang	Changsha	墨
	Shuangfeng	墨

Compounds

• 別墨 / 别墨
• 即墨之戰 / 即墨之战
• 即墨侯
• 即墨縣 / 即墨县
• 吃墨船兒 / 吃墨船儿
• 吸墨紙 / 吸墨纸 (xīmòzhǐ)
• 和墨
• 喝墨水 (hē mòshuǐ)
• 嚼墨噴紙 / 嚼墨喷纸
• 大處落墨 / 大处落墨 (dàchùluòmò)
• 奇異墨水 / 奇异墨水
• 宿墨
• 尋行數墨 / 寻行数墨
• 屠毒筆墨 / 屠毒笔墨
• 弄筆墨 / 弄笔墨 (nòng bǐmò)
• 彩墨
• 徽墨
• 㥏墨
• 惜墨如金
• 惜墨法
• 托墨
• 文墨
• 斷紙餘墨 / 断纸余墨 (duànzhǐyúmò)
• 朱墨
• 朱墨本
• 朱墨爛然 / 朱墨烂然
• 松煙墨 / 松烟墨 (sōngyānmò)
• 楮墨
• 楊墨 / 杨墨
• 毫飛墨噴 / 毫飞墨喷
• 水墨 (shuǐmò)
• 水墨畫 / 水墨画 (shuǐmòhuà)
• 油墨 (yóumò)
• 深墨
• 潑墨 / 泼墨
• 潑墨人物 / 泼墨人物
• 潑墨山水 / 泼墨山水
• 濃墨 / 浓墨
• 發墨 / 发墨
• 白墨 (báimò)
• 盟墨
• 眉如墨畫 / 眉如墨画
• 石墨 (shímò)
• 研墨 (yánmò)
• 破墨
• 破墨山水
• 硃墨 / 朱墨
• 磨墨 (mómò)
• 程墨
• 積墨 / 积墨
• 筆耕墨耘 / 笔耕墨耘
• 筆墨 / 笔墨 (bǐmò)
• 筆墨官司 / 笔墨官司
• 筆墨生涯 / 笔墨生涯
• 筆墨紙硯 / 笔墨纸砚 (bǐmòzhǐyàn)
• 簡策楮墨 / 简策楮墨
• 粉白墨黑
• 粉墨 (fěnmò)
• 粉墨登場 / 粉墨登场 (fěnmòdēngchǎng)
• 紅墨 / 红墨
• 紅墨水 / 红墨水
• 縗墨 / 缞墨
• 繩墨 / 绳墨 (shéngmò)
• 繩墨之言 / 绳墨之言
• 翰墨 (hànmò)
• 翰墨志
• 背繩墨 / 背绳墨
• 胸無點墨 / 胸无点墨 (xiōngwúdiǎnmò)
• 舞文弄墨 (wǔwénnòngmò)
• 茶墨
• 著墨 / 着墨 (zhuómò)
• 落墨 (luòmò)
• 蘸墨
• 螺子墨
• 螺墨
• 規矩繩墨 / 规矩绳墨
• 調墨弄筆 / 调墨弄笔
• 貪墨 / 贪墨 (tānmò)
• 貪墨之風 / 贪墨之风
• 貪墨敗度 / 贪墨败度
• 近朱近墨
• 遺墨 / 遗墨 (yímò)
• 醉墨
• 闈墨 / 闱墨
• 陳墨 / 陈墨
• 隱顯墨水 / 隐显墨水
• 風月筆墨 / 风月笔墨
• 食墨
• 騷人墨客 / 骚人墨客 (sāorénmòkè)
• 墨分五色
• 墨刑 (mòxíng)
• 墨卷
• 墨吏
• 墨囊
• 墨妙
• 墨妝 / 墨妆
• 墨妖
• 墨子 (Mòzǐ)
• 墨守
• 墨守成法
• 墨守成規 / 墨守成规 (mòshǒuchéngguī)
• 墨客 (mòkè)
• 墨家 (Mòjiā)
• 墨寶 / 墨宝 (mòbǎo)
• 墨床
• 墨廚 / 墨厨
• 墨戲 / 墨戏
• 墨斗 (mòdǒu)
• 墨斗魚 / 墨斗鱼 (mòdǒuyú)
• 墨晶
• 墨暈 / 墨晕
• 墨杘
• 墨水 (mòshuǐ)
• 墨水匣
• 墨水池 (mòshuǐchí)
• 墨水規 / 墨水规
• 墨汁 (mòzhī)
• 墨池筆塚 / 墨池笔冢
• 墨油
• 墨海 (mòhǎi)
• 墨瀋 / 墨沈
• 墨爾本 / 墨尔本 (Mò'ěrběn)
• 墨版
• 墨版版畫 / 墨版版画
• 墨玉 (Mòyù)
• 墨玉縣 / 墨玉县
• 墨痕
• 墨痴
• 墨盒 (mòhé)
• 墨盪子 / 墨荡子
• 墨程
• 墨突
• 墨竹
• 墨筆 / 墨笔 (mòbǐ)
• 墨索里尼 (Mòsuǒlǐní)
• 墨絰 / 墨绖
• 墨綠 / 墨绿 (mòlǜ)
• 墨綠色 / 墨绿色 (mòlǜsè)
• 墨線 / 墨线 (mòxiàn)
• 墨義 / 墨义
• 墨翟
• 墨者 (mòzhě)
• 墨花
• 墨荷
• 墨蝶
• 墨西哥 (Mòxīgē)
• 墨西哥城 (Mòxīgēchéng)
• 墨西哥灣 / 墨西哥湾 (Mòxīgē Wān)
• 墨詔 / 墨诏
• 墨豬 / 墨猪
• 墨跡 / 墨迹 (mòjì)
• 墨選 / 墨选
• 墨鏡 / 墨镜 (mòjìng)
• 墨魚 / 墨鱼 (mòyú)
• 墨鴉 / 墨鸦
• 墨黑 (mòhēi)
• 墨墨

Descendants

• → Buryat: бэхэ (bexe, “ink”)
• → Indonesian: bak
• → Javanese: ꦧꦏ꧀ (bak)
• → Khmer: មឹក (mɨk, “squid; ink”)
• → Korean: 먹 (meok)
• → Lao: ມຶກ (mưk, “ink; black”), ໝຶກ (mưk, “sepia from cuttlefish; ink; black”)
• → Mongolian: бэх (bex, “ink”)
• → Sogdian: 𐼺𐼸𐼰 (mkʾ /⁠*makā⁠/, “ink”)
• → Thai: หมึก (mʉ̀k, “ink”), ปลาหมึก (bplaa-mʉ̀k, “cuttlefish”)
• → Vietnamese: mực (“cuttlefish; ink”)

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): méi (mei²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄟˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: méi
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄟˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: méi
    • Wade–Giles: mei²
    • Yale: méi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mei
    • Palladius: мэй (mɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /meɪ̯³⁵/

Definitions

墨

1. only used in 墨杘

Pronunciation 3

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mèi (mei⁴)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄟˋ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mèi
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄟˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mèi
    • Wade–Giles: mei⁴
    • Yale: mèi
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mey
    • Palladius: мэй (mɛj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /meɪ̯⁵¹/

Definitions

墨

1. to slander

References

• “墨”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–