Learn a Chinese Character - 明

1. Character Basics

Radical: \u0022\u660e\u0022 (The character itself is a radical, composed of \u0022\u6708\u0022 moon and \u0022\u65e5\u0022 sun)

Stroke Count: 8 strokes

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: míng (Second tone)

3. Meaning

Bright; clear; light; intelligent; smart; clever; wise; obvious; evident; clear; to understand; to comprehend; to make clear; tomorrow; next day

4. Common Words

• \u0022\u660e\u65e5\u0022 (míng tiān) - Tomorrow
• \u0022\u660e\u767d\u0022 (míng bái) - Clear; obvious; to understand
• \u0022\u660e\u5927\u0022 (míng dà) - Clear and big; obvious
• \u0022\u660e\u5f81\u0022 (míng xīng) - Star; celebrity
• \u0022\u660e\u667a\u0022 (míng zhì) - Intelligent; wise
• \u0022\u660e\u4eae\u0022 (míng mèi) - Bright; beautiful; lovely
• \u0022\u660e\u95f4\u0022 (míng jiān) - Light; brightness; between heaven and earth
• \u0022\u660e\u638c\u0022 (míng shǒu) - Skilled person; expert

5. Grammar & Usage

The character \u0022\u660e\u0022 has multiple grammatical functions and can be used as an adjective, verb, or noun with meanings related to brightness, clarity, understanding, and tomorrow.

• As an adjective: Means "bright", "clear", or "intelligent"
• As a verb: Means "to understand" or "to comprehend"
• As a noun: Can mean "tomorrow" or "light/brightness"
• In compound words: Often forms words related to clarity, intelligence, and light (e.g., \u0022\u660e\u767d\u0022 clear, \u0022\u660e\u667a\u0022 intelligent)
• In idiomatic expressions: Used in set phrases emphasizing clarity or understanding (e.g., \u0022\u660e\u660e\u767d\u767d\u0022 clearly, \u0022\u660e\u77e5\u4e0d\u591a\u0022 knowing little)

6. Cultural Background

The character \u0022\u660e\u0022 holds significant cultural meaning in Chinese tradition. It combines \u0022\u6708\u0022 (moon) and \u0022\u65e5\u0022 (sun), representing the union of yin and yang, the fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy.

It symbolizes clarity, brightness, and understanding. In Confucian thought, it's associated with wisdom and moral virtue. The character is also used in many cultural expressions and idioms that emphasize clarity of thought, purity of intention, and the pursuit of knowledge.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character \u0022\u660e\u0022 has 8 strokes and is composed of two simple characters: \u0022\u6708\u0022 (moon) on the left and \u0022\u65e5\u0022 (sun) on the right.

• Remember the structure: sun and moon together create light/brightness
• The left part \u0022\u6708\u0022 (moon) and right part \u0022\u65e5\u0022 (sun) are both easy to recognize and write
• Associate it with the concept of brightness and clarity - sun and moon together create maximum light
• Connect it with common words like \u0022\u660e\u65e5\u0022 (tomorrow) or \u0022\u660e\u767d\u0022 (clear) to help memorize its meaning and usage