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聪明 (cōng míng) — smart, intelligent, clever

Definition

Everyday adjective for people or animals: quick to learn, good at solving problems. 智能 is more technical (AI/智能机); 懂事 is about social maturity, not intellect.

adjective
smartintelligentclever

Examples

  • ，聪明。
    Tā xué xí hěn nǔ lì, yě hěn cōng míng.
    She studies hard and is also very smart.
  • 聪明！
    Nǐ de bàn fǎ zhēn cōng míng!
    Your method is really clever!
  • 聪明，。
    Zhè zhī māo hěn cōng míng, huì zì jǐ kāi mén.
    This cat is very smart — it can open the door by itself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

聪cōngacute hearing
明míngclear sight

聪 refers to sharp hearing and 明 to clear sight; together they describe quick understanding.

Characters in this word

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 聰; 聪 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
囪
囪cōng聰cōng
Same sound today

The traditional form 聰 has 耳, the ear, beside a right side made of 囪, a window giving the sound, over 心, the heart; the simplified 聪 is a later abbreviation.

Open 聪 →

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 →
Appears in
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