默
mò
silent, quiet
At a glance · 默

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

默 Evolution of the glyph
  1. 默 Object sketch
    Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
  2. 默 Oracle bone
    Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
  3. 默 Seal script
    Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
  4. 默 Clerical script
    Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
  5. 默 Regular script
    Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE
Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested:oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

小篆从黑犬声,形声字,本指犬静不出声,引申为沉默。隶楷作「默」。

What the sketch shows

默 Object sketch

Origins & notes

「默」本指不语、寂静,引申为暗自、默写。

Structure

形声字,黑为意符,犬为声符。

At a glance

Pinyinmò
Radical黑
Strokes16
UnicodeU+9ED8
Character type形声
Theme状态

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English silent, quiet Silent, quiet; to do silently.
Français silencieux, tacit Silencieux, calme; faire en silence.
Español silencioso, callado Silencioso, callado; hacer en silencio.
العربية صامت، ساكن صامت أو ساكن أو بصمت.
Русский молчаливый, тихий Молчаливый, тихий; молча, про себя.

Common words

  • 沉默chén mòsilent
  • 默mòsilent