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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "desert" in Chinese?
沙漠
shā mò
In Chinese, "desert" is 沙漠 (shā mò).
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Pronunciation
You'll want to say "shā mò" so that "shā" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1), then "mò" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4).
Writing and usage
沙漠 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
沙漠绵延数英里的沙地。
shā mò mián yán shù yīng lǐ de shā dì 。
The desert stretched for miles of sand.
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How to remember 沙漠
Notice how "shā mò" rolls off the tongue, and tie that feeling to a quick mental picture of "沙漠" (shā mò).
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 沙漠
How do you pronounce 沙漠?
You'll want to say "shā mò" so that "shā" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1), then "mò" is falling fast and sharp, like a command (tone 4).
Is 沙漠 formal or casual?
沙漠 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 沙漠 used in Chinese?
沙漠 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 沙漠绵延数英里的沙地。 (The desert stretched for miles of sand.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Desert" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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