触摸

• Pinyin: chù mō
• Hanzi breakdown: 触 = 角 (horn) + 虫 (insect) = to touch; 摸 = 扌 (hand) + 莫 (phonetic) = to feel, to grope

Meaning

To touch; to feel with one's hands. Physical contact made by using hands or fingers.

Common in technology (触摸屏 touchscreen), museum signs (请勿触摸 please don't touch), and descriptive contexts. More formal than 摸, implies deliberate, gentle touching.

Examples

1. 请勿触摸展品，以免损坏文物。 Please don't touch the exhibits to avoid damaging the artifacts.
2. 她轻轻触摸婴儿柔软的脸颊。 She gently touched the baby's soft cheek.
3. 这款平板电脑支持多点触摸操作。 This tablet supports multi-touch operation.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, museum, descriptive

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 触摸屏幕选择你想要的选项。(Touch the screen to select the option you want.)
• 博物馆的互动区允许游客触摸部分展品。(The interactive area of the museum allows visitors to touch some exhibits.)

Don't Say

• 我触摸了他的肩膀引起他注意 (Too formal for casual touching — use 拍了拍 or 碰了一下)

Origin & History

Compound of 触 (to touch, to contact) and 摸 (to feel, to touch). Both characters relate to physical contact, creating emphasis.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal