HanziGuru.名 · míng
名
míng[ming2]Tone 2

name

HSK 1
Guru Deep Dive

English · name

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Top-bottom
Strokes:6
Writing Balance Rule: The top component (夕) should be slightly narrower than the bottom component (口), maintaining a stable vertical center of gravity.
1. Meaning

name

noun (part of speech)place (e.g. among winners)famousclassifier for people
Noun / ClassifierNeutral#identity#grammar#ranking
Sample Usage
  • 你叫什么名字？
    nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?
    What is your name?
  • 他是一位著名的医生。
    tā shì yí wèi zhùmíng de yīshēng.
    He is a famous doctor.
2. Sound
/[mɪŋ³⁵]/Tone: 35
名
míngming2
++
´(35)
=míng
Initial Consonant
m
Type: Bilabial Nasal
Sounds like: m sound as in 'mother'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Nasal resonance through nostrils.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Lips pressed together lightly to produce a voiced nasal sound.
Final Rhyme
ing
Vowel Group: -i vowel group
Sounds like: -ing rhymes with 'sing'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'eeng'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises from middle pitch to high pitch, identical to the upward inflection of a surprised question in English ('Huh?').
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the nasal ending -ing with -n or -ng sounds in other syllables if not fully closing the back of the throat.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Tone 2 rises from medium to high like an inquiring 'What?' in English, paired with a hand motion moving upward from left to right.
3. Writing

Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 6 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The top component (夕) should be slightly narrower than the bottom component (口), maintaining a stable vertical center of gravity.

4. Components

Radical 口 · Mouth Radical (mouth, opening)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 口 (Represents speaking or shouting a name out loud.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 夕 (original sound: míng / xī (evening/sunset clue acting as sound phonetic foundation historically))

At dusk (夕) when it gets dark and you can no longer see faces clearly, people call out to each other with their mouths (口) to state their name.

  • 夕 evening / sunset
  • 口 mouth
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally, it combined 夕 (evening, when it is dark and hard to see) and 口 (mouth). In ancient times, when it grew dark and people encountered each other, they had to open their mouths to state their names in the dark.

Semantic Evolution: From the act of calling out one's identity in the dark, it broadened to mean a name, reputation, and classifier for personnel.

  • The combination of 'evening' and 'mouth' provides one of the most vivid mnemonics in the Chinese writing system.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
danh
Mandarin rising tone corresponds to northern Vietnamese questioning tone.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: メイ / ミョウ / Kun: な
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
명
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

In the evening (夕), it is too dark to recognize anyone's face, so you must open your mouth (口) and speak your NAME out loud so others know who you are.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
铭
mínginscribe, engravingAdd metal radical (钅) for something engraved in metal.
螟
mínginsect pestAdd insect radical (虫) for harmful crop insects.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
各(gè)
各 has a 'foot' component on top (夂) instead of 夕, meaning 'each/every'.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
请问你的[___]是什么？
Clue: míng zi
Common Learner Pitfall

Writing the top component as '夂' (foot) instead of '夕' (evening).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does the character 名 mean and how is it pronounced?
Production: How do you write the character for 'name' using the components 'evening' and 'mouth'?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

名míngname
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube