模拟

• Pinyin: mó nǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 模 = 木 (wood) + 莫 (dark, pattern) — a wooden mould or pattern; 拟 = 扌 (hand) + 以 (using) + 人 (person) — to imitate

Meaning

To simulate; to imitate; to replicate conditions for practice or analysis. Also: analog, as opposed to digital.

Used in military training (模拟演练), technology (模拟器 = simulator), education (模拟考试 = mock exam), and science (computer simulation). 模拟信号 (analog signal) as opposed to 数字信号 (digital signal). 模拟题 (practice questions modelled on actual exams) is common in Chinese education.

Examples

1. 飞行员在驾驶真正的飞机之前要在模拟器上接受数百小时的专项训练。 Before flying a real aircraft, pilots must complete hundreds of hours of specialized training on a simulator.
2. 这套模拟试卷的难度与真实高考基本一致，可以用来全面评估备考情况。 This set of practice exams is about the same difficulty as the real Gaokao and can be used to thoroughly assess test prep.
3. 科学家用计算机模型模拟了海平面持续上升对沿海城市造成的潜在影响。 Scientists used computer models to simulate the potential impact of continued sea-level rise on coastal cities.

Usage Guide

Context: technology, education, military, science

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 通过模拟真实的商业谈判场景，学员能更系统地掌握各类谈判策略与技巧。(By simulating real business negotiation scenarios, participants can more systematically master various negotiation strategies and skills.)
• 该系统通过模拟不同市场条件来全面评估投资组合在极端情形下的风险敞口。(The system assesses the portfolio's risk exposure under extreme scenarios by simulating different market conditions.)

Don't Say

• 把'模拟'和'模仿'混用 (模拟 emphasises replicating a system or condition for analysis or practice; 模仿 means imitating a person's style or behaviour)

Origin & History

模 (model, pattern) + 拟 (to imitate, to draft). Together mean 'to model and imitate,' i.e., to simulate a real condition.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal