ZHIZHI 知止 · LEARN CHINESE DAILY
明
bright; clear; tomorrow
míng
8 strokes · 日 (sun) + 月 (moon) — the two brightest things in the sky · HSK 1
What 明 is made of
日 + 月 = 明
Where 明 comes from
Sun and moon side by side: the brightest objects humans know, fused into one character for brightness. Bright light became clear understanding, and the coming daylight became 明天 tomorrow.
明 in Chinese culture
聪明 clever, 明白 to understand ('bright-clear'), 明星 star/celebrity. The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) chose this character for its name: the Bright Dynasty. Few characters are this optimistic.
Example
明天 míngtiān — tomorrow
我明白了。
Wǒ míngbai le.
I understand now.
How to remember it
SUN + MOON together — maximum BRIGHTNESS, everything CLEAR.
明白 'understand' literally reads 'bright-white' — comprehension as light switching on.
Same sound, different tones
Words unlocked by 明
明天 míngtiān
tomorrow
明白 míngbai
to understand
Related characters
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One character a morning · 455-character HSK library · iOS