芒 (máng) — awn; beard (of wheat, etc.); point; tip; edge (of a blade); ray; beam (of light)
Definition
芒 is the fine, bristle-like part of grain (like the 'beard' on a wheat ear), also extended to mean a sharp point or a ray of light. Rare as a standalone word — you'll see it inside compounds like 锋芒 ('sharp edge, wit') and 光芒 ('rays of light').
noun
awnbeard (of wheat, etc.)pointtipedge (of a blade)raybeam (of light)
Examples
- 芒。Mài suì shàng yǒu xì cháng de máng.The wheat ear has long, thin awns.
- 。Tài yáng de guāng máng wēn nuǎn dì zhào zài dà dì shàng.The sun's rays shine warmly on the earth.
- ，。Tā de fēng máng tài lòu, róng yì dé zuì rén.His edge is too sharp; he easily offends people.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss
Sound part声符shēngfú
亡
亡wáng芒máng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
芒 pairs 艹 (grass) with 亡 as a sound part.
Appears in
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