Chinese word

墓碑

Pronunciation

Pinyinmù bēi

Meaning

  • nountombstone

Example

每年清明，我们都去给墓碑上香。měi nián qīng míng wǒ men dōu qù gěi mù bēi shàng xiāng

Every year during the Qingming Festival, we burn incense at the tombstone.

Illustration for 墓碑 (tombstone)

More examples

他们正在擦拭墓碑。tā men zhèng zài cā shì mù bēi

They are wiping the tombstone.

Core concept

An inscribed stone that identifies a burial place and gives remembrance a visible focus.

Common phrases

  • 给墓碑上香gěi mù bēi shàng xiāng

    burn incense at a tombstone

  • 擦拭墓碑cā shì mù bēi

    wipe a tombstone

  • 刻在墓碑上kè zài mù bēi shàng

    be engraved on a tombstone

Similar words

墓石mù shí: A stone placed on or standing over a grave, often engraved with the person's name and death date.
坟墓fén mù: A place where a dead person is buried.
墓地mù dì: An area where many graves are located.
墓志铭mù zhì míng: A short inscription on a grave that records a person's life or expresses remembrance.

Definition in Chinese

刻有故人姓名或纪念文字、立于墓地或墓旁的石碑，用于指示墓位并供亲属悼念。kè yǒu gù rén xìng míng huò jì niàn wén zì lì yú mù dì huò mù páng de shí bēi yòng yú zhǐ shì mù wèi bìng gōng qīn shǔ dào niàn

Word origin

墓 (mù, "grave") + 碑 (bēi, "inscribed stele") forms the word for a commemorative stone placed at a grave.

Usage tips

  • 清明 (Qīngmíng, "Tomb-Sweeping Festival") is a common time for families to visit graves, so this word often appears in conversations about seasonal family customs.

Other meanings

  • grave markernoun

Word lists with this word