Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
瘼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
瘼mòsickness; distressg, 15 strokes, radical 疒
mò(mo4)mo T4
  1. 1sickness; distress
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

瘼mò(mo4)

The character 瘼 (mò) refers to a type of sickness or distress, often implying a chronic or persistent condition. It is commonly used in medical contexts or discussions about health, particularly when referring to ailments that cause prolonged suffering.

Strokes15Radical疒
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of chronic ailments is significant, as many believe that long-term health conditions can affect one's overall balance and well-being. This makes understanding terms like 瘼 essential in cultural discussions about health.

Memory tip

Imagine a person who is so sick that they can hardly move, depicted as lying on a bed with a giant 'M' (for 'mò') above their head, symbolizing their distress. The radical 疒 (sickness) reinforces the meaning, connecting the character visually to health issues.

Meanings of 瘼

mò(mo4)
1sickness; distress
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 瘼 means.

About 瘼

瘼Simplified
15Strokes
疒Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 瘼

JasonAmy

Podcast: 瘼

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 瘼

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 瘼 with similar characters for sickness, such as 病 (bìng) or 疾 (jí), which can lead to imprecise usage. This term is more formal and typically found in written texts rather than casual conversations, so be mindful of the context in which you use it.

HSK Study Tips

While 瘼 is not included in the HSK levels, understanding it can help with recognizing related vocabulary in health and medicine. Students should focus on the radicals and related terms to build a broader vocabulary around health issues.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 瘼 with 病, using it incorrectly in casual dialogue. For example, saying '我有瘼' instead of '我有病' (I am sick) is incorrect; the latter is more commonly understood.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 瘼

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 瘼 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 瘼 to You

Let me explain 瘼 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 瘼 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

How Well Do You Know 瘼?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 瘼 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 瘼

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
Phonetic (sound)莫
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

瘼 = 疒 + 莫. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 瘼

IDS Structure⿸疒莫
瘼Full character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
莫Mo4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 瘼?

How to say sickness; distress in Chinese

“sickness; distress” in Chinese is瘼mò

The character 瘼 (mò) refers to a type of sickness or distress, often implying a chronic or persistent condition. It is commonly used in medical contexts or discussions about health, particularly when referring to ailments that cause prolonged suffering.

When to use 瘼

Learners often confuse 瘼 with similar characters for sickness, such as 病 (bìng) or 疾 (jí), which can lead to imprecise usage. This term is more formal and typically found in written texts rather than casual conversations, so be mindful of the context in which you use it.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 瘼 with 病, using it incorrectly in casual dialogue. For example, saying '我有瘼' instead of '我有病' (I am sick) is incorrect; the latter is more commonly understood.

Write 瘼

瘼

Practice writing 瘼 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 瘼?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

Word Family of 瘼

Words containing this character1
瘼mòdistress

Frequently Asked Questions about 瘼

瘼 specifically refers to chronic distress or sickness, while 病 is a more general term for any kind of illness.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 瘼?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab