Dictionary › 明

明

míng

HSK 1 Character

What 明 means

1. bright
2. opposite: dark {暗|àn}
3. (of meaning) clear
4. to understand
5. next
6. public or open
7. wise
8. generic term for a sacrifice to the gods

Other readings

明 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• MíngMing Dynasty (1368–1644); surname Ming; Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame E

Example sentences

• 明白。
  I understand.
• 猫很聪明
  Māo hěn cōngming
  Cats are smart.
• 明天见。
  See you tomorrow.
• 明天见！
  See you tomorrow.
• 不明白。
  I don't understand.
• 明白了。
  I got it.

Words starting with 明

• 明天míng tiāntomorrow
• 明白míng baiclear; obvious; unequivocal; sensible; reasonable; to understand; to realize
• 明显míng xiǎnclear; distinct; obvious
• 明确míng quèclear-cut; definite; explicit; to clarify; to specify; to make definite
• 明星míng xīngstar; celebrity
• 明信片míng xìn piànpostcard
• 明明míng míngobviously; plainly; undoubtedly
• 明年míng niánnext year
• 明亮míng liàngbright; shining; glittering
• 明慧míng huìintelligent; brilliant
• 明月míng yuèbright moon; refers to 夜明珠, a legendary pearl that can glow in the dark
• 明日míng rìtomorrow
• 明媚míng mèibright and beautiful
• 明朝míng zhāotomorrow morning; the following morning
• 明了míng liǎoto understand clearly; to be clear about; plain
• 明代Míng dàithe Ming dynasty (1368-1644)
• 明知míng zhīto be fully aware of; to know perfectly well
• 明珠míng zhūpearl; jewel (of great value)
• 明清Míng Qīngthe Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties
• 明智míng zhìsensible; wise; judicious
• 明朗míng lǎngbright; clear; obvious
• 明儿míng r(colloquial) tomorrow; one of these days; some day
• 明快míng kuài(of style, mood etc) bright; lively; brisk; prompt; decisive
• 明摆着míng bǎi zheevident; clear; undoubted

Words containing 明

• 聪明cōng mingintelligent; clever; bright; acute (of sight and hearing)
• 说明shuō míngto explain; to illustrate; to indicate
• 证明zhèng míngproof; certificate; identification
• 文明wén míngcivilized; civilization; culture
• 表明biǎo míngto make clear; to make known; to state clearly
• 发明fā míngto invent; an invention
• 光明guāng mínglight; radiance; (fig.) bright (prospects etc)
• 透明tòu míngtransparent; (fig.) transparent; open to scrutiny
• 声明shēng míngto state; to declare; statement
• 分明fēn míngclear; distinct; evidently
• 鲜明xiān míng(of colors) bright; fresh and clear; clear-cut; distinct
• 黎明lí míngdawn; daybreak
• 高明gāo míngbrilliant; superior; wise
• 开明kāi míngenlightened; open-minded; enlightenment
• 英明yīng míngwise; brilliant
• 注明zhù míngto clearly indicate
• 不明bù míngnot clear; unknown; to fail to understand
• 姚明Yáo MíngYao Ming (1980-), retired Chinese basketball player, played for CBA Shanghai Sharks…
• 精明jīng míngastute; shrewd; smart
• 说明书shuō míng shū(technical) manual; (book of) directions; synopsis (of a play or film)
• 圆明园Yuán míng yuánYuanmingyuan, the Old Summer Palace, destroyed by the British and French army in 1860
• 清明qīng míngclear and bright; sober and calm; (of a government or administration) well ordered
• 照明zhào mínglighting; illumination; to light up
• 标明biāo míngto mark; to indicate

Characters built on 月

These share the phonetic component 月 (yuè), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 青qīnggreen; blue; black
• 赢yíngto beat; to win; to profit
• 腥xīngfishy (smell)
• 膺yīngbreast; receive
• 腈jīngacrylic
• 嬴Yíngsurname Ying
• 胫jìnglower part of leg
• 肼jǐnghydrazine

Characters that look like 明

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 项xiàngback of neck; item; thing
• 须xūmust; to have to; to wait
• 顺shùnto obey; to follow; to arrange
• 胡húnon-Han people, esp. from central Asia; reckless; outrageous
• 帧zhēnframe; classifier for paintings etc; Taiwan pr. zhèng
• 钡bèibarium (chemistry)

Sounds the same

Read míng, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 名name; noun (part of speech); place (e.g. among winners)
• 铭to engrave; inscribed motto
• 鸣to cry (of birds, animals and insects); to make a sound…
• 冥dark; deep; stupid
• 茗Thea sinensis; young leaves of tea
• 溟to drizzle; sea
• 暝dark
• 螟boring insect; snout moth's larva…
• 瞑to close (the eyes)
• 眳space between the eyebrows and the eyelashes
• 洺name of a river
• 榠used in 榠楂