墨 (mò) - Ink — black liquid or solid used for & also refers to calligraphy and painting as an

墨Tone 4

mò ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

妙慕

墨 · mò

Ink — black liquid or solid used for writing, painting, and printing;

also refers to calligraphy and painting as an art form, or things that are black in color.

Ink — black liquid or solid used foralso refers to calligraphy and painting as an

Usage highlights

Ink stickInkstoneInk wash paintingCalligraphy inkInk cartridgeInk and brush

Synonyms

  • 墨水— liquid ink
  • 墨汁— prepared liquid ink
  • 乌— black, dark (color synonym)

Antonyms

  • 白— white
  • 朱— vermilion, cinnabar red

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is grinding ink for calligraphy (磨墨).
  • Traditional Chinese ink is made from soot and glue (墨).
  • She practices ink wash painting (水墨画).
  • The inkstone is used to grind ink (砚墨).

Collocations

  • Ink stick(墨条)
  • Inkstone(砚台)
  • Ink wash painting(水墨画)
  • Calligraphy ink(书法墨)
  • Ink cartridge(墨盒)
  • Ink and brush(笔墨)

Idioms

  • Near vermilion, one gets stained red; near ink, one gets stained black(近朱者赤，近墨者黑)
  • Ink splashed like flying(泼墨飞洒)
  • Thick and heavy ink(浓墨重彩)
  • Ink treasure(墨宝)
  • Ink official(墨吏)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the Four Treasures of the Study (文房四宝) along with brush, paper, and inkstone.
  • Ink wash painting (水墨画) is a fundamental style in traditional Chinese art.
  • Symbolizes scholarship, refinement, and the arts in Chinese culture.
  • Historically, ink was made from pine soot and animal glue, pressed into decorative sticks.

FAQ