明
明
“bright”
Radical: 日
Strokes: 8
Level: HSK 1
How 明 is built — side by side
日
Sun / day · rì
The sun with a dot inside. Time words are full of it: 明 早 晚 时.
月
Moon / month · yuè
A crescent moon. Body-part characters (脸 face, 腿 leg) use its form, and it means month.
The story behind 明
Sun (日) + moon (月) = bright (明). The two brightest things in the sky together.
💡 明 also means "next" in 明天 (tomorrow, lit. bright day).
Words with 明
明天 míngtiān — tomorrow
文明 wénmíng — civilization
明白 míngbai — clear
聪明 cōngming — clever
说明 shuō míng — to explain
证明 zhèng míng — proof
表明 biǎo míng — to make clear
发明 fā míng — to invent
光明 guāng míng — light
明确 míng què — clear-cut
明显 míng xiǎn — clear
明信片 míng xìn piàn — postcard
Related characters
Practice 明 in the free app — animated stroke order, tone training with your microphone, and spaced-repetition flashcards.
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