墨 Stroke Order — How to Write 墨
墨 is written in 15 strokes, following the standard Chinese stroke order. Start from the radical 土, then complete the remaining strokes.
Stroke order matters in Chinese: it keeps the character balanced, and it is how dictionaries and handwriting input methods expect a character to be written.
墨 Radical and Character Components
墨 is an ideographic compound. Chalk made from black 黑 earth 土.
Radical: 土 + 3 more strokes
墨 Pronunciation and Pinyin
- mò
Meanings of 墨 in Chinese
1
mò墨
Black pigment used for writing or painting, such as ink or ink sticks.
他用毛笔蘸墨汁写字。
He uses a brush pen to dip in ink and write characters.
Ink or pigment, such as that used for writing, drawing, or printing.
请给我一瓶黑色的墨水。
Please give me a bottle of black ink.
Refers to the color black or a very dark shade, often used to describe items that are black or dark.
她戴着一副墨镜，看起来非常酷。
She wore a pair of sunglasses and looked very cool.
Mò (墨) in this context refers to corruption or being corrupt, often used in phrases like 'tānmò' (贪墨) meaning 'to embezzle/be corrupt' or 'mòlì' (墨吏) meaning 'corrupt official'.
这名官员因贪墨钱财，最终被绳之以法。
This official, due to his embezzlement of funds, was eventually brought to justice.
An ancient form of punishment involving tattooing the face with ink (also known as 'qing').
在古代，这种被施以墨的刑罚被视为极其耻辱。
In ancient times, this punishment of being tattooed with ink was considered extremely humiliating.
Silent; taciturn; to keep silent, as in '默' (mò).
他墨然不语，只是静静地听着
He remained silent, just listening quietly.
Common Words and Phrases with 墨
1
Mòbǎo refers to treasured scrolls of calligraphy or painting, or respectfully, to someone's beautiful handwriting or artwork.
博物馆里展出了许多古代大师的墨宝，吸引了无数游客
The museum exhibited many precious works of art by ancient masters, attracting countless visitors.
2
Cuttlefish.
墨斗鱼是一种海洋生物，它的肉质鲜美。
Cuttlefish is a type of marine creature, and its flesh is delicious.
3
An ink box containing an absorbent material saturated with ink, used for dipping calligraphy brushes.
写书法时，爷爷总是用那个老旧的墨盒。
When practicing calligraphy, my grandfather always uses that old inkpad.
4
pitch black; very dark
窗外夜色墨黑，连星光都看不见
The night outside the window was pitch black; not even a star could be seen.
5
Ink marks or traces; a person's handwriting or painting, often referring to a work of art.
旧书页上留下了淡淡的墨迹，仿佛记录着过去的时光。
Faint ink marks were left on the old book pages, as if recording the passage of time.
6
The Mohist School (Mòjiā) was an ancient Chinese philosophical school founded by Mozi, advocating universal love (兼爱), non-aggression (非攻), and believing in the will of Heaven and the existence of ghosts.
墨家思想强调兼爱与非攻，主张通过实践改善社会。
Mohist thought emphasizes universal love and non-aggression, advocating for societal improvement through practical action.
7
Mohist School, an influential philosophical school during China's Warring States period, founded by Mozi, advocating universal love and non-aggression.
墨家流的思想在古代社会中，倡导兼爱与非攻，影响深远。
The philosophy of the Mohist school, in ancient society, advocated universal love and non-aggression, exerting a profound influence.
8
9
scholar or literary figure
古往今来，无数墨客用笔墨记录下时代的变迁和人生的百态。
Throughout history, countless literati have used their pens to record the changes of their times and the various aspects of human life.
10
corrupt officials
在一些古老的传说中，那些鱼肉乡里的墨吏，最终都会受到公正的审判。
In some ancient legends, those corrupt officials who exploited the local people would eventually face a just trial.
11
To stick rigidly to conventional practices or old rules; to be a slave to convention.
在瞬息万变的时代，如果企业墨守成规，就很难在激烈的市场竞争中生存下来
In a rapidly changing era, if a company adheres to conventional practices, it will be difficult for it to survive in fierce market competition.
12
Ink, a colored liquid used for writing, drawing, or printing.
我需要买一瓶新的蓝色墨水来填充我的钢笔。
I need to buy a new bottle of blue ink to refill my fountain pen.
13
A form of ancient Chinese punishment involving tattooing characters on the face.
在古代，一些轻罪犯会受到墨刑，他们的脸上会被刺上标记，以示惩戒
In ancient times, minor offenders might be subjected to Mo Xing, where their faces were tattooed with marks as a form of punishment.
14
osprey
在宁静的湖面上，一位老渔翁正驾着小船，让他墨鸭跳入水中捕鱼
On the tranquil lake, an old fisherman was steering a small boat, letting his cormorants dive into the water to catch fish.
15
inkfish or cuttlefish
这道菜以新鲜的墨鱼为主料，味道鲜美，深受顾客喜爱。
This dish uses fresh cuttlefish as its main ingredient, tastes delicious, and is very popular with customers.
16
Prepared Chinese ink; a black liquid used for writing and painting.
孩子们用毛笔蘸着墨汁，在宣纸上练习书法
Children dipped their writing brushes in ink and practiced calligraphy on rice paper.
More words with 墨
- hàn翰mò墨writing, calligraphy
- huī徽mò墨Hui ink, Huizhou ink
- shéng绳mò墨standards, rules
- pō泼mò墨splashing ink
- tān贪mò墨corruption, graft
- fěn粉mò墨makeup; to apply makeup
- wéi闱mò墨Examination essays, Examination papers
- zhū朱mò墨vermilion and ink, red and black ink
- hè赫ěr耳mò墨sī斯Hermes
- zuì醉mò墨Drunken ink
- hē喝mò墨shuǐ水Be highly educated, Be well-read
- mò墨sè色ink color, black
- bǐ笔mò墨pen and ink, writing
- mò墨shǒu守stick to old ways, adhere rigidly
- shuǐ水mò墨ink wash, ink painting
- wén文mò墨literature and writing, pen and ink
- yóu油mò墨ink, printing ink
- dàn淡mò墨light ink, faint ink
- shuǐ水mò墨huà画ink wash painting, Chinese ink painting
- mò墨kuài块ink stick, ink cake
Idioms with 墨
- mò墨jì迹wèi未gān干ink not yet dry
- mò墨zhī汁wèi未gān干the ink is scarcely dry
- bǐ笔gē歌mò墨wǔ舞magnificent, lively, and exquisite writing style
- bǐ笔hān酣mò墨bǎo饱fluent, expressive, and rich writing
- bǐ笔lǎo老mò墨xiù秀masterful brushwork and elegant ink
- bǐ笔mò墨guān官si司written dispute
- bǐ笔mò墨zhī之lín林a gathering of scholars and literati
- bǐ笔mò墨zhǐ纸yàn砚four treasures of the study
- bù不tōng通wén文mò墨illiterate or uneducated
- dà大chù处luò落mò墨Focus on the big picture
- fěn粉mò墨dēng登chǎng场make a showy public appearance
- làng浪fèi费bǐ笔mò墨waste words or effort
Recommended tools
Stroke Order Animator
Turn a Chinese character or sentence into a GIF or MP4
Open the tool →
Writing Worksheets
Printable tracing sheets with a QR learning companion
Open the tool →
Picture Worksheets
Chinese and English fill-in vocabulary worksheets
Open the tool →
Chinese Text Image Generator
Create PNGs with pinyin, highlight character parts or remove strokes
Open the tool →Questions about 墨
What does 墨 mean in Chinese?
墨 (mò) means “Ink or pigment” in Chinese.
How do you pronounce 墨?
墨 is pronounced mò in Mandarin Chinese.
How many strokes does 墨 have?
墨 has 15 strokes.
How do you write 墨?
墨 is written in 15 strokes, starting from the radical 土. See the animated stroke order on this page.
What is the radical of 墨?
The radical of 墨 is 土, and 墨 is an ideographic compound.
