Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 接觸 / 接触 | jiēchù |
| 觸摸 / 触摸 | chùmō |
| 摸 | mō |
| 觸 / 触 | chù |
Depending on the context, Chinese uses different words for 'touch'. 接觸 / 接触 is used when discussing coming into contact with something or someone, often in an abstract sense. For the physical act of using your hands to feel or touch something, 摸 is the most common choice. If you want to describe the act of touching or stroking a surface in a more descriptive or formal way, you should use 觸摸 / 触摸. Relatedly, the noun 觸覺 / 触觉 refers to the sense of touch or perception through physical contact.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ based on how physical or abstract the contact is. 接觸 / 接触 means 'to come into contact with' and is used for formal or abstract situations, such as contacting a person or objects meeting. 摸 is the informal, physical way to say 'to touch or feel with hands'. 觸摸 / 触摸 is a more formal and descriptive version of 摸, frequently seen in written text to describe touching or stroking a surface. Additionally, the word 碰觸 is a formal way to express the concept of touch.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To make an action with 摸 sound more casual or brief, you can add 一下 after it, resulting in 摸一下, which translates to 'touch it for a second' or 'give it a touch'.
How do you pronounce it?
jiēchù
Did you know?
- The character for 觸 (touch) contains a radical meaning 'horn', as the word originally referred to animals butting heads or touching with their horns.
- While 摸 is used for physical touch, 接觸 is often used to describe 'making contact' with a new culture or a different social class.
- The verb 摸 is so common for physical contact that it can be used to describe 'feeling around' in the dark, much like the English 'to grope'.
Examples in context
- 来吧，摸一下。Come on, touch it.This sentence demonstrates using 摸 to suggest touching something.Tatoeba #3662927 by yss123231, translation #3549700 by CK
- 摸這條蛇安全嗎?Is this snake safe to touch?This sentence uses 摸 to ask about the safety of touching a snake.Tatoeba #786139 by Martha, translation #58694 by CK
- 谁也不要摸这个。I don't want anyone to touch this.This sentence uses 摸 to express a desire for no one to touch an object.Tatoeba #2318398 by User5120, translation #1887276 by CK
- 我不小心碰觸到了熱鍋子。I accidentally touched the hot pot.
- 他注意避免碰觸感染物。He is careful to avoid touching contaminated objects.
- 他輕輕地摸了一下貓咪的頭部。He gently touched the cat's head.
- 我喜歡摸柔軟的絲綢。I enjoy touching soft silk.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “touch” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 摸, 觸, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
