Mnemonic comic for

Translation

míng = mi + (e)ng2: bright / opposite: dark 暗[an4] / (of meaning) clear / to understand / next / public or open / wise / generic term for a sacrifice to the gods

Mnemonic

A mnemonic is a short, deliberately ridiculous scene, built to be hard to forget. Who appears in it and where it takes place are how the pronunciation is stored; the objects in it stand for the parts the character is written with. That is the Marilyn Method, and the comic below is the same scene, drawn.

Mnemonic symbol: a very bright searchlight.

Together with the sun (日), Marilyn Monroe (mi) is looking for the moon (月) just inside the engine’s kitchen ((e)ng2). To make the search easier they use a searchlight (明).

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All translations for 明

míng = mi + (e)ng2
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) / surname Ming / Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shen2 nong2] Farmer God
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míng = mi + (e)ng2
bright / opposite: dark 暗[an4] / (of meaning) clear / to understand / next / public or open / wise / generic term for a sacrifice to the gods
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Comments

Haha I love the ray of light coming out of the sun's nose!

Matthias, 11 months ago

How to pronounce 明

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

= mi initial

Mi is for Marilyn Monroe.

By Matthias • updated 3 months ago
+ (e)ng2 final

In the engine’s kitchen.

By Matthias • updated 6 months ago

明 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

Component Translations
= r + Ø4
abbr. for 日本[Ri4 ben3], Japan
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= r + Ø4
sun / day / date, day of the month
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yuè = yu + e4
moon / month / monthly / CL:個|个[ge4],輪|轮[lun2]
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Characters with 明 as component

méng = m + (e)ng2
to sprout / to bud / to have a strong affection for (slang) / adorable (loanword from Japanese 萌え moe, slang describing affection for a cute character)
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méng = m + (e)ng2
oath / pledge / union / to ally / league, a subdivision corresponding to prefecture in Inner Mongolia
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zhào = zh + ao4
name invented for herself by Tang empress Wu Zetian 武則天|武则天[Wu3 Ze2 tian1]
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Words with 明

show 594 more
to specify / specific details
reasonable; of good judgment
Sentences with 明
wàn
suì
zhēn
shì
shén
míng

Want to remember 明 for good?

Make it your learning target and MandarinBanana works out the shortest route to it: the two sounds its syllable is built from, then the components of the character itself, one short step at a time. No account needed to start.

míng

2 translations

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