Kilo Lingo

(cōng ming) - clever, smart, intelligent in Mandarin

cōngming

Traditional: 聰明

Line drawing of 聪明
Coloured illustration of 聪明
HSK 3
#717 of 5,000 Core 1000

Translation

clever, smart, intelligent

Word origin

The word 聪明 combines 聪 'acute of hearing, clever' with 明 'bright, clear'. 聪 has 耳 (ear) as its meaning element; 明 joins 日 (sun) and 月 (moon) to convey brightness. Together they describe a quick, perceptive mind.

Origin
compound
Root
聪 (cōng, sharp-eared: 耳 ear + 总 phonetic) + 明 (míng, bright: 日 sun + 月 moon)

Stroke order

Stroke order for 聪

Stroke order for 明

Examples

He is a clever child.

She is very smart and learns quickly.

Intelligent people know how to adapt.

This child is very intelligent.

Used in

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This word is part of lesson 15.