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明镜 (Míng jìng) — (noun) bright mirror; clear mirror; (noun) (figurative) clear-sightedness; perspicacity; impartial clarity

Definition

Literary word for a 'bright, clear mirror' — used mostly as a metaphor (心如明镜) for a mind that sees clearly and judges impartially, as in governance or moral clarity.

noun
bright mirrorclear mirror(figurative) clear-sightednessperspicacityimpartial clarity
Measure word · 面

Examples

  • 明镜。
    Zhè miàn Míng jìng yìng chū le tā de xiào róng.
    This bright mirror reflected her smile.
  • 明镜，。
    Wéi guān zhě dāng rú Míng jìng, gōng zhèng wú sī.
    An official should be like a clear mirror — fair and selfless.
  • 明镜，。
    Tā xīn rú Míng jìng, yì yǎn jiù kàn chuān le piàn jú.
    His mind was like a bright mirror; he saw through the scam at a glance.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

明míngbright/clear
镜jìngmirror

明 gives 'bright/clear' and 镜 gives 'mirror', so the word denotes a clear mirror and by extension clear-sightedness.

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 鏡; 镜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
金金jīnmetal
Sound part声符shēngfú
竟
竟jìng鏡jìng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鏡 puts 金, metal, next to 竟 to give the sound. The simplified 镜 is a later shorthand.

Open 镜 →
Appears in
Everyday Objects

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