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明确 (míng què) — (adjective) clear-cut, definite, explicit; (verb) to clarify, to specify, to make definite

Definition

明确 means 'clear and definite' (adjective) or 'to clarify/specify' (verb), focusing on being unambiguous in attitude, goal, or statement. Slightly stronger and more explicit than 确定, which leans toward 'confirmed/certain'.

adjective
clear-cutdefiniteexplicit
verb
to clarifyto specifyto make definite

Examples

  • 明确。
    Tā de tài dù hěn míng què.
    His attitude is very clear-cut.
  • 明确。
    Wǒ men xū yào míng què zì jǐ de mù biāo.
    We need to clarify our own goals.
  • 明确。
    Qǐng zài huì shàng míng què nǐ de jì huà nèi róng.
    Please specify the content of your plan at the meeting.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

明míngclear
确quèfirm

明 and 确 both convey clearness and firmness, making the sense definite and explicit.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), showing the sun just rising while the moon has not yet set, or two bright objects in the sky, to express brightness.

Open 明 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 確; 确 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
隺
隺hè確què
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 確 combines 石, a rock, with 隺 for its sound; the idea is something rock-solid and certain. The simplified 确 is a shorthand.

Open 确 →
Appears in
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