模仿
Mófǎng
To mimic in Chinese is 模仿 (Mófǎng) (mófǎng).
模仿 is a verb used to describe the act of imitating, especially in order to ridicule.
Meaning: to imitate, especially in order to ridicule (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word consists of two characters: 模, which refers to a mold, pattern or model and 仿, which means to imitate or copy.
Which one should you use?
While 模仿 is a neutral or technical term for imitation, the term 学 (xué) or 效仿 (xiàofǎng) can sometimes imply following an example or learning from someone's behavior. Additionally, 效仿 is a formal term that emphasizes the act of imitating or following someone's example.
How do you pronounce it?
Mófǎng
Did you know?
- Chinese distinguishes between 模仿, which is a general imitation, and 山寨 (shānzhài), a colloquial term for 'mimicking' a brand to create a counterfeit or knock-off product.
- If you want to say someone is 'mimicking' a person's accent in a mocking way, you might use the term 学舌 (xuété), which literally translates to 'learning a tongue'.
- In Chinese opera, mimicry is a highly codified art where performers use 模仿 to portray non-human entities, such as monkeys or ghosts, through specific, stylized movements.
Examples in context
- 鸚鵡會模仿人的聲音。A parrot can mimic a person's voice.This sentence uses 模仿 to describe a parrot's ability to mimic a human voice.Tatoeba #796974 by Martha, translation #65170 by Dejo
- 他善于模仿别人的口音。He is good at mimicking other people's accents.
- 他总是效仿他的朋友。He always mimics his friends.
- 他故意模仿老師說話，顯得很沒禮貌。Tā gùyì mófǎng lǎoshī shuōhuà, xiǎnde hěn méi lǐmào.He deliberately mimicked the teacher speaking, which was very rude.
Example conversation
Two friends are watching a group of students in a hallway.
- 梓涵 Zihan他在模仿那個男生嗎？Tā zài mófǎng nàge nánshēng ma?Is he mimicking that boy?
- 伟 Wei對，他在嘲笑他的口音。Duì, tā zài cháoxiào tā de kǒuyīn.Yes, he is ridiculing his accent.
- 梓涵 Zihan那樣模仿很不禮貌。Nàyàng mófǎng hěn bù lǐmào.Mimicking like that is very impolite.
- 伟 Wei我同意，這很不成熟。Wǒ tóngyì, zhè hěn bù chéngshú.I agree, it is very immature.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mimic” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
