磨坊
mòfāng/mu̯ɔ⁵¹ fɑŋ³⁵/
The English word 'mill' can be translated into Chinese as 磨坊 (mòfāng).
磨坊 is a noun used to refer to a building that houses a grinding apparatus. Related verbs used for the action of grinding or processing with a mill include 磨 and 粉碎.
Meaning: building housing a grinding apparatus (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 磨坊 consists of 磨, which means to grind and 坊, which means a workshop or shop.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The single character 磨 can function as a verb meaning to grind or to wear down.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is mòfāng.
Did you know?
- In ancient China, the 坊 system was a method of social control where residents were locked inside their wards at night.
- The word 磨 can also mean 'to delay' or 'to waste time' in certain idiomatic expressions, such as when someone is being tedious.
- The character 磨 is also used in the term 磨练, which means to temper or hone one's skills through hardship, much like a millstone hones a surface.
Examples in context
- 那座旧磨坊已经废弃了。Nà zuò jiù mòfāng yǐjīng fèiqì le.That old mill has already been abandoned.
- 村民们在磨坊里加工谷物。Cūnmínmen zài mòfāng lǐ jiāgōng gǔwù.The villagers are processing grain in the mill.
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Zihan are walking through a rural village.
- 志强 Zhiqiang你看，那边是不是一座磨坊？Nǐ kàn, nàbiān shì bù shì yī zuò mófāng?Look, is that a mill over there?
- 梓涵 Zihan没错，那是当地著名的磨坊。Méicuò, nà shì dāngdì zhùmíng de mófāng.That's right, that is a famous local mill.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们可以进去看看吗？Wǒmen kěyǐ jìnqù kànkan ma?Can we go in and take a look?
- 梓涵 Zihan好，梓涵带你去。Hǎo, Zǐhán dài nǐ qù.Okay, Zihan will take you there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mill” translations and entries 磨坊, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
