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明白 (míng bai) — Chinese word meaning

HSK 3

明白 (míng bai) is a Chinese word: to understand. This page shows its pinyin, translation, example sentences, character breakdown, decomposition, and HSK level.

Meaning of 明白

动 dòng verb

to understand

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nǐ míng bai wǒ de yì si ma

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Word breakdown

明 míng — clear, bright (contributes clarity)

Words with this character (31)
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白 bái / bai — plain, clear (reinforces clarity)

Contextual pronunciation: bai

Words with this character (15)
  • 1 白天 bái tiān — daytime HSK 1
    • 白 bright, light (referring to daylight)
    • 天 day (time period)
    Example

    我白天工作，晚上学习。

    wǒ bái tiān gōng zuò wǎn shang xué xí

    I work during the daytime and study at night.

  • 2 白色 bái sè — white HSK 2
    • 白 white (the color concept)
    • 色 color (specifies it refers to the color)
    Example

    她今天穿了一件白色的衣服。

    tā jīn tiān chuān le yī jiàn bái sè de yī fu

    She wore a white piece of clothing today.

  • 3 白酒 bái jiǔ — baijiu (Chinese white liquor) HSK 4
    • 白 white/clear (referring to the transparent appearance)
    • 酒 alcohol/liquor (the beverage category)
    Example

    这瓶白酒是我爸爸送的礼物。

    zhè píng bái jiǔ shì wǒ bà ba sòng de lǐ wù

    This bottle of baijiu is a gift from my father.

  • 4 白白 bái bái — in vain HSK 6
    • 白 empty, without result
    • 白 reduplication for emphasis of wastefulness
    Example

    不要白白浪费时间。

    bù yào bái bái làng fèi shí jiān

    Don't waste time in vain.

  • 5 白领 bái lǐng — white-collar worker HSK 6
    • 白 white (referring to white dress shirts)
    • 领 collar (of a shirt)
    Example

    他是一个白领，每天在办公室工作。

    tā shì yí gè bái lǐng měi tiān zài bàn gōng shì gōng zuò

    He is a white-collar worker, working in an office every day.

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  • 6 蛋白质 dàn bái zhì — protein HSK 6
    • 蛋 egg
    • 白 white (referring to egg white)
    • 质 substance, matter
    Example

    鸡蛋含有丰富的蛋白质。

    jī dàn hán yǒu fēng fù de dàn bái zhì

    Eggs contain abundant protein.

  • 7 坦白 tǎn bái — frank, honest HSK 7
    • 坦 open, candid, frank
    • 白 clear, plain, to reveal
    Example

    他很坦白地承认了错误。

    tā hěn tǎn bái de chéng rèn le cuò wù

    He frankly admitted his mistake.

  • 8 对白 duì bái — dialogue HSK 7
    • 对 reciprocal, facing (indicates back-and-forth exchange)
    • 白 speech, spoken words (the lines being spoken)
    Example

    这部电影的对白写得很精彩。

    zhè bù diàn yǐng de duì bái xiě de hěn jīng cǎi

    The dialogue in this film is written brilliantly.

  • 9 开场白 kāi chǎng bái — opening remarks HSK 7
    • 开 to open, to begin
    • 场 occasion, venue, scene
    • 白 speech, words, remarks
    Example

    主持人的开场白很幽默。

    zhǔ chí rén de kāi chǎng bái hěn yōu mò

    The host's opening remarks were very humorous.

  • 10 惨白 cǎn bái — deathly pale HSK 7
    • 惨 intensifies the paleness to a tragic, extreme, or disturbing degree
    • 白 provides the base meaning of white or pale color
    Example

    她听到噩耗后脸色变得惨白。

    tā tīng dào è hào hòu liǎn sè biàn de cǎn bái

    Her face turned deathly pale after hearing the bad news.

  • 11 洁白 jié bái — pure white HSK 7
    • 洁 clean, pure, spotless
    • 白 white
    Example

    她穿着一件洁白的连衣裙。

    tā chuān zhe yī jiàn jié bái de lián yī qún

    She wore a pure white dress.

  • 12 空白 kòng bái — blank HSK 7
    Example

    这份表格有很多空白需要填写。

    zhè fèn biǎo gé yǒu hěn duō kòng bái xū yào tián xiě

    This form has many blanks that need to be filled in.

  • 13 苍白 cāng bái — pale HSK 7
    • 苍 ashen, gray (suggesting unhealthy color)
    • 白 white, pale (lightness of color)
    Example

    她的脸色苍白，看起来很虚弱。

    tā de liǎn sè cāng bái kàn qǐ lái hěn xū ruò

    Her complexion is pale, she looks very weak.

  • 14 表白 biǎo bái — to confess one's feelings HSK 7
    • 表 to express, to show outwardly
    • 白 clear, openly, plainly
    Example

    他终于鼓起勇气向她表白了。

    tā zhōng yú gǔ qǐ yǒng qì xiàng tā biǎo bái le

    He finally mustered the courage to confess his feelings to her.

  • 15 颠倒黑白 diān dǎo hēi bái — to confuse right and wrong; to distort facts HSK 7
    • 颠 overturn, topple
    • 倒 reverse, invert
    • 黑 black (representing wrong/evil)
    • 白 white (representing right/good)
    Example

    媒体不应该颠倒黑白误导公众。

    méi tǐ bù yīng gāi diān dǎo hēi bái wù dǎo gōng zhòng

    The media should not distort facts and mislead the public.

Structure & writing
1 明 míng — bright; light (opposite of "dark")
明 is a component in 2 characters
HSK 7
盟 méng to swear (an oath) 萌 méng (of plants) to sprout, to bud

consists of

1.1 日 rì — the sun
日 is a component in 67 characters
HSK 1
早 zǎo morning 时 shí time; a relatively long period of time during which matter continuously changes or develops 明 míng bright; light (opposite of "dark") 星 xīng stars twinkling in the night sky 昨 zuó yesterday
Show more HSK 1 characters (+2)
晚 wǎn evening; night 间 jiān between; the space where two periods of time or things meet
HSK 2
晴 qíng clear, sunny (of sky or weather; opposite of overcast) 最 zuì most; -est (superlative degree)
HSK 3
冒 mào to rise; to emerge; to come out 复 fù to repeat; to do more than once 旧 jiù old; outdated (opposite of '新') 易 yì easy; not difficult (opposite of 难) 照 zhào (of light) shine on an object
Show more HSK 3 characters (+4)
者 zhě particle after adjectives or verbs indicating a person or thing with that quality or doing that action 阳 yáng yang, one of the two opposing forces in Chinese philosophy (opposite of 阴) 音 yīn sound; pronunciation 香 xiāng fragrant; pleasant-smelling (opposite of 臭)
HSK 4
厚 hòu thick (of a flat object, opposite of 薄) 晨 chén early morning; dawn; sometimes broadly referring to the period from midnight to noon 普 pǔ universal; widespread 景 jǐng situation; circumstance 暂 zàn brief, short in time (opposite of 久)
Show more HSK 4 characters (+2)
暑 shǔ hot, sweltering (opposite of 寒) 暖 nuǎn warm, neither cold nor hot
HSK 5
旦 dàn dawn; early morning 昆 kūn (class.) elder brother 映 yìng to reflect (an image via light) 显 xiǎn visible; obvious; evident 晒 shài （of the sun）to shine on something
Show more HSK 5 characters (+4)
智 zhì wise; intelligent 暗 àn dark, dim (opposite of 明) 暴 bào sudden and violent; fierce and swift 替 tì to replace; to substitute
HSK 6
宴 yàn to host a banquet; to feast together 旬 xún a period of ten days; a month has three such periods: upper, middle, and lower 旱 hàn drought; dry (opposite of 涝) 昂 áng to raise high, to hold up 晕 yūn to faint; to lose consciousness
Show more HSK 6 characters (+3)
晰 xī clear, distinct 晾 liàng to dry clothes in the sun or in a ventilated place 踏 tà to step on; to go to a place in person
HSK 7
嗜 shì to love, to have a particular fondness for 塌 tā to collapse, cave in 捏 niē to pinch (with thumb and fingers) 旨 zhǐ delicious; tasty 旭 xù (lit.) the first rays of the morning sun
Show more HSK 7 characters (+20)
旷 kuàng empty and vast; open and spacious 旺 wàng prosperous; flourishing; (of fire) blazing fiercely 昌 chāng prosperous; flourishing 昏 hūn dusk; twilight 昔 xī the past; former times (opposite of 今) 昧 mèi confused; ignorant 晃 huàng to shake, to sway 晋 jìn to advance, move forward or upward 晓 xiǎo dawn, daybreak 晤 wù to meet, to see (someone) 晶 jīng bright; luminous 暄 xuān (lit.) warm (of sunlight); pleasantly warm 暧 ài (lit.) dim, obscure (of sunlight) 暮 mù dusk, the time of sunset 曙 shǔ dawn; daybreak 曝 bào used in "曝光": ① (photography) exposure of film or photosensitive paper to light; ② (figurative) to expose hidden matters to public 莫 mò (lit.) no one; nothing 蹋 tà to tread on; to step on 隙 xì crack; crevice 鲁 lǔ dull; stupid
1.2 月 yuè — the moon, Earth's natural satellite
月 is a component in 17 characters
HSK 1
前 qián front; the direction one faces (opposite of 后) 明 míng bright; light (opposite of "dark") 朋 péng friend; companion 服 fú clothing; garment 期 qī scheduled date; deadline
HSK 2
望 wàng to look, to look into the distance 阴 yīn the moon (太阴)
HSK 4
钥 yào key 青 qīng black
HSK 5
朝 cháo imperial court; the place where the emperor holds court and issues decrees; also refers to being in power, opposite of '野'
HSK 6
朗 lǎng bright, well-lit
HSK 7
惰 duò lazy, sluggish; opposite of 勤 朦 méng dim, hazy (as in 朦胧: dim moonlight or blurry, indistinct) 甩 shuǎi to swing; to wave 胧 lóng dim moonlight; hazy, indistinct (as in 朦胧) 腾 téng to run or leap
Show more HSK 7 characters (+1)
霸 bà leader of a feudal alliance in ancient China

Stroke order

2 白 bái / bai — white (color like snow or milk, opposite of black)
白 is a component in 19 characters
HSK 1
百 bǎi hundred (the number 100) 的 de structural particle used after an attributive: ① general modifier before a noun ② possessive modifier ③ attributive is a person's name or pronoun, head noun is a role or identity ④ head noun combines with a preceding verb to express an action, attributive is the object of that action
HSK 3
怕 pà to fear; to be afraid of 拍 pāi to slap or pat with the palm or a flat object 泉 quán spring water
HSK 4
貌 mào appearance, looks
HSK 6
皇 huáng monarch; emperor 迫 pò to compel; to force
HSK 7
伯 bó uncle (father's elder brother) 卑 bēi low; lowly 帕 pà small square cloth for wiping hands or face; handkerchief 柏 bǎi cypress tree, an evergreen with scale-like leaves and cone fruits; hard wood used as building material 泊 bó to moor a boat; to dock
Show more HSK 7 characters (+6)
皂 zào black (color) 皆 jiē all; everyone 碧 bì (lit.) blue-green jade 粕 pò dregs left over from brewing wine 舶 bó large oceangoing vessel 魄 pò the corporeal soul (in superstition, the spirit attached to the body)

白 is an atomic character — it does not decompose further.

Stroke order