模仿

• Pinyin: mó fǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 模 = 木 (wood) + 莫, a mold; 仿 = 亻(person) + 方, to imitate

Meaning

To imitate; to copy; to emulate. Reproducing someone's actions, style, or manner.

Can be neutral (learning by imitation), positive (emulating good examples), or negative (copying without originality). Common in discussions of learning, art, and behavior. Related to but distinct from 抄袭 (plagiarism).

Examples

1. 孩子最喜欢模仿大人的说话方式。 Children love to imitate the way adults talk.
2. 他模仿得很像，简直和原唱一模一样。 His imitation is so accurate; it sounds exactly like the original singer.
3. 创新比模仿更重要，要有自己的想法。 Innovation is more important than imitation; you need to have your own ideas.

Usage Guide

Context: learning, art, behavior

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 模仿是学习的第一步。(Imitation is the first step of learning.)
• 他很擅长模仿名人的声音。(He's very good at imitating celebrities' voices.)

Don't Say

• 我模仿了你的作业。(For copying homework, use 抄 — 模仿 implies mimicking style or behavior, not copying content)

Origin & History

模 (mó, model) + 仿 (fǎng, imitate). To follow a model; to copy.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal