墨水
mòshuǐ
The English word ink can be translated into Chinese as 墨水 (mòshuǐ) or 墨.
Meaning: coloured fluid used for writing (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 墨水 | mòshuǐ |
| 墨 | mò |
In Chinese, these terms refer to the colored fluid used for writing.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 墨水 is a compound of 墨, meaning ink and 水, meaning water.
Which one should you use?
墨水 typically refers to liquid ink used in pens or printing. In contrast, 墨 can refer to the substance in general, including the solid ink sticks used in traditional calligraphy. Additionally, the term 墨汁 is often used specifically to refer to liquid ink or 'ink juice' used in calligraphy or produced by animals.
How do you pronounce it?
mòshuǐ
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the word 墨水 is used metaphorically to describe a person's level of education. Someone with 'lots of ink' is highly literate, while having 'no ink' means being uneducated.
- In ancient Chinese history, a 'Mohist' or 墨家 scholar is a person who follows the teachings of Mozi, whose name is the same character used for ink.
- The character for ink, 墨, contains the radical for 'soil' or 'earth', reflecting the historical use of mineral-based pigments mixed with earth to create writing substances.
Examples in context
- 別用紅墨水寫。Don't write in red ink.This sentence is useful for learning how to advise against using a specific color with 墨水.Tatoeba #6128481 by verdastelo9604, translation #272290 by adjusting
- 这种墨水颜色鲜艳。This ink is colorful.This sentence is useful for describing the visual quality of 墨水.Tatoeba #9992003 by GlossaMatik, translation #13949848 by frpzzd
- 章魚遇到危險時會噴出墨汁。An octopus can release ink when it gets into danger.This sentence is useful for describing the liquid released by an octopus using 墨.Tatoeba #13884043 by LeviHighway, translation #14022694 by frpzzd
- 我需要买一瓶墨水。I need to buy a bottle of ink.
- 这幅画使用了大量的墨汁。This painting uses a lot of ink.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie and Yuting are studying together in a library.
- 俊杰 Junjie我的钢笔没墨水了。Wǒ de gāngbǐ méi mòshuǐ le.My pen has run out of ink.
- 雨婷 Yuting你可以用我的。Nǐ kěyǐ yòng wǒ de.You can use mine.
- 俊杰 Junjie谢谢雨婷，你的墨水是什么颜色的？Xièxiè Yǔtíng, nǐ de mòshuǐ shì shénme yánsè de?Thanks Yuting, what color is your ink?
- 雨婷 Yuting是蓝色的。Shì lánsè de.It is blue.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ink” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 墨, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
