Chinese word

拇指

Pronunciation

Pinyinmǔ zhǐ

Meaning

  • nounthumb

Example

我用拇指按了门铃。wǒ yòng mú zhǐ àn le mén líng

I pressed the doorbell with my thumb.

Illustration for 拇指 (thumb)

More examples

他向我竖起拇指。tā xiàng wǒ shù qǐ mú zhǐ

He gave me a thumbs-up.

Core concept

The strong opposing digit that meets the other fingers to make gripping and pressing possible.

Common phrases

  • 拇指受伤mú zhǐ shòu shāng

    hurt one's thumb

  • 竖起拇指shù qǐ mú zhǐ

    raise one's thumb

  • 用拇指按yòng mú zhǐ àn

    press with one's thumb

Similar words

大拇指dà mú zhǐ: A casual spoken term for the thumb, often used in conversation and gestures.
食指shí zhǐ: The finger commonly used for pointing at things or pressing them.
中指zhōng zhǐ: The centrally placed finger of the hand, noticeable for its length.
小指xiáo zhǐ: The hand's smallest and thinnest finger.

Definition in Chinese

位于手掌一侧的第一指，从手掌内侧算起，较粗短，主要用于把持、发力和按压。wèi yú shóu zhǎng yí cè de dì yì zhǐ cóng shóu zhǎng nèi cè suàn qǐ jiào cū duǎn zhǔ yào yòng yú bǎ chí fā lì hé àn yā

Word origin

拇 (mǔ, "thumb") + 指 (zhǐ, "finger") forms 拇指 (mǔzhǐ, "thumb"); 拇 uses a hand radical for meaning and 母 (mǔ, "mother") for sound.

Usage tips

  • A raised thumb commonly signals approval or agreement in English-speaking settings, linking this body-part term with a familiar social gesture.

Related words

  • 大拇指dà mú zhǐthumbnoun

Word lists with this word