明 — how to write the kanji for “bright”
明 (“bright” and “light”) is a JLPT N4 kanji taught in second grade in Japan. In newspapers it is one of the hundred most used kanji (67th). KANJIDIC2 gives it 3 on readings and 10 kun readings, so the word decides how you say it. Its parts sit side by side: 日 (“day”, its radical), strokes 1–4; 月 (“moon or flesh”), strokes 5–8, each finished before the next. Read mei, it forms 不明 (“unclear”), 声明 (“declaration”) and 明確 (“clear”); the native reading a-kari gives 明らか (“clear”). Chinese reads it míng, “bright”, at HSK 1.
- Strokes
- 8
- JLPT
- N4
- Radical
- 日 (“day”)
- On
- メイ, ミョウ, ミン
- Kun
- あ·ける, あか·らむ, あき·らか
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- Vertical ㇑top leftdownwards
- Horizontal-turn ㇕top leftrightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Horizontal ㇐leftrightwards
- Vertical then left-falling ㇓topdownwards
- Horizontal-turn-hook ㇆toprightwards → downwards
- Horizontal ㇐toprightwards
- Horizontal ㇐centerrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
Japanese and Chinese draw all 8 strokes in the same order and direction, by our stroke-by-stroke comparison.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Readings
- On (Chinese-derived)
- メイ mei, ミョウ myou, ミン min (rare)
- Kun (native)
- あ·ける a-keru, あか·らむ aka-ramu, あき·らか aki-raka, あ·かり a-kari (rare), あか·るい aka-rui (rare), あか·るむ aka-rumu (rare), -あ·け -a-ke (rare), あ·く a-ku (rare), あ·くる a-kuru (rare), あ·かす a-kasu (rare)
- Meanings
- bright; light
- Read mei
- 不明 声明 明確 説明 公明党 公明
- Read a-kari
- 明らか
- School year
- second grade
- Newspaper rank
- 67th of 2,500 (KANJIDIC2)
- Korean hanja
- 명 myeong
- Common words
- 64 in JMdict
Words with 明
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 明らか | あきらか akiraka | clear; obvious |
| 不明 | ふめい fumei | unclear; obscure |
| 声明 | せいめい seimei | declaration; statement |
| 明確 | めいかく meikaku | clear; precise |
| 説明 | せつめい setsumei | explanation; exposition |
| 公明党 | こうめいとう koumeitou | Komeito (Japanese political party) |
| 公明 | こうめい koumei | fairness; openness |
| 明治 | めいじ meiji | Meiji era (1868.9.8-1912.7.30) |
| 未明 | みめい mimei | early dawn; grey of morning |
| 表明 | ひょうめい hyoumei | declaration; indication |
Most common first (JMdict).
Practice sheet
Print at 100%. Several kanji: worksheet maker.
Keep going
Same parts:
JLPT N4, in list order: