墓

• Pinyin: mù
• Hanzi breakdown: 墓 = 土 (earth) + 莫 (phonetic). Burial place in the earth.

Meaning

Tomb; grave; burial site.

Refers to burial places, from simple graves to elaborate tombs. Common compounds: 坟墓 (grave/tomb), 墓地 (cemetery), 墓碑 (gravestone), 扫墓 (visit graves/pay respects to the dead). Important in Chinese culture for ancestor worship and the Qingming Festival.

Examples

1. 清明节那天，全家人一起去给爷爷扫墓。 On Qingming Festival, the whole family went together to visit grandfather's grave.
2. 这座古墓已经有两千多年的历史了。 This ancient tomb has over two thousand years of history.
3. 墓碑上刻着他生前最喜欢的一句诗。 The gravestone is engraved with his favorite poem from when he was alive.

Usage Guide

Context: death, history, culture

Tone: solemn

Do Say

• 我们去扫墓。(We're going to visit the grave.)
• 这是一座古墓。(This is an ancient tomb.)

Don't Say

• 在喜庆场合提到墓 (墓 is associated with death — avoid in celebratory contexts)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic with 土 (earth) indicating burial ground and 莫 phonetic. Place of burial in earth.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal