Chinese word

漠然

Pronunciation

Pinyinmò rán

Meaning

  • adjectiveunclear

Example

我对未来的计划有点漠然。wǒ duì wèi lái de jì huà yóu diǎn mò rán

I am a little unclear about my plans for the future.

Illustration for 漠然 (unclear)

More examples

她在会议上表现得很漠然，没有参与讨论。tā zài huì yì shàng biǎo xiàn de hěn mò rán méi yǒu cān yù tǎo lùn

She appeared very indifferent at the meeting and did not participate in the discussion.

Core concept

A subject remains a blur, leaving thought without a firm direction and feeling without much engagement.

Common phrases

  • 表现得漠然biǎo xiàn de mò rán

    appear indifferent

  • 对生活漠然duì shēng huó mò rán

    be indifferent to life

  • 对新闻漠然duì xīn wén mò rán

    be indifferent to the news

Similar words

含糊hán hú: Expressing meaning or attitude so unclearly that the intended message is difficult to grasp.
模糊mó hú: Describing something whose boundaries or details have become hard to see clearly.
迷茫mí máng: Feeling unsure and lost because no clear path or choice has emerged.
茫然máng rán: Being mentally blank and bewildered after something surprising or confusing happens.

Definition in Chinese

用来形容对某事没有明确的想法或方向，认知模糊且没有清晰的重点或轮廓。yòng lái xíng róng duì mǒu shì méi yǒu míng què de xiáng fǎ huò fāng xiàng rèn zhī mó hú qiě méi yǒu qīng xī de zhòng diǎn huò lún kuò

Word origin

The word 漠然 (mòrán, "vague") draws on 漠 (mò, "vast and indistinct") and 然 (rán, "in that state"), giving the sense of a state without a clear outline.

Usage tips

  • This adjective suits a written or carefully worded description more than a quick casual reply, where a shorter expression is often more natural.

Other meanings

  • indifferentadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • 漠然无动于衷mò rán wú dòng yú zhōngbe completely indifferentidiom

Word lists with this word