明(míng)

HSK 18 strokes

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

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Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
míng
Meaning
Ming Dynasty (1368–1644); surname Ming; Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神农 Farmer God
Strokes
8
HSK level
HSK 1
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where 明 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Ideograph⿰日月

The light of the sun 日 and moon 月

A combination of parts whose meanings add up to the whole.

Made of

日rì月yuè

Parts are arranged left to right.

How to write 明 step by step

8 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
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  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
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  8. 8

Words with 明

Common words using 明 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

guāng光míng明
HSK 3

light; radiance; (fig.) bright (prospects etc); openhearted

Open 光明 page →
sān三míng明zhì治
HSK 6

(loanword) sandwich

Open 三明治 page →
guāng光míng明lěi磊luò落
HSK 7-9

open and candid (idiom); straightforward and upright

Open 光明磊落 page →
fēn分míng明
HSK 7-9

clear

Open 分明 page →
sān三míng明

see 三明市[San1 ming2 Shi4]

Open 三明 page →
bù不míng明

not clear; unknown; to fail to understand

Open 不明 page →
sān三míng明shì市

Sanming, prefecture-level city in Fujian Province 福建省[Fu2 jian4 Sheng3]

Open 三明市 page →
xià下luò落bù不míng明

unaccounted

Open 下落不明 page →

Related characters

More HSK 1 characters

一七三上下不东两

From 明’s common words

光三治磊落分不市

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