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琢磨

Mandarin · pinyin zhuó mó#

to carve and polish (jade)
to polish and refine a literary work

Mandarin · pinyin zuó mo#

to ponder
to mull over
to think through
Taiwan pr. zhuó mó

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Characters in this entry

琢: zuó · polish jade; cut jade
磨: mó · grind; polish; rub; wear out; a millstone

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

2–2 · zhuo2 mo2

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 4 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

doek3 mo4

Cantonese word readings for 琢磨. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb · Etymology 1

to carve and polish (jade)
to polish and refine a literary work

verb · Etymology 2

to think over; to turn over in one's mind; to ponder
(Beijing Mandarin) to scheme against; to conspire against

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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