密 meaning and stroke order
Dense; close; thick; intimate; close; (bound form) secret; confidential
How to write 密, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 密
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dense; close; thick
- intimate; close
- (bound form) secret; confidential
- (Internet slang) to send a private message to (sb); to DM
How 密 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A silent 宓 mountain 山; 宓 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 密
The top part 宓 (mì) means silent and also gives the sound, and 山 (shān) mountain sits underneath. Picture a quiet, hidden place deep in thick mountain forest, where secrets are kept and trees grow dense.
密 rarely stands alone in formal speech. It mostly appears in words for secrets, like 秘密 (mìmì) and 密码 (mìmǎ), for closeness, like 亲密 (qīnmì), and for density, like 密集 (mìjí). Example: 请告诉我你的密码。(Qǐng gàosu wǒ nǐ de mìmǎ.) Please tell me your password.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 密 with 蜜 (mì, honey), which has the same sound but 虫 at the bottom instead of 山. A handy check: 蜂蜜 (fēngmì) is honey from bees, so it uses the insect part, and 秘密 (mìmì) is a secret, so it uses 山.
Common words with 密
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 秘密 | mìmì | secret; private; confidential; clandestine; a secret | HSK 4 |
| 密码 | mìmǎ | cipher; secret code; password; PIN | HSK 4 |
| 保密 | bǎomì | to keep sth confidential; to maintain secrecy | HSK 4 |
| 亲密 | qīnmì | intimate; close | HSK 4 |
| 密切 | mìqiè | close; intimate; to strengthen (ties, cooperation etc) | HSK 4 |
| 紧密 | jǐnmì | inseparably close | HSK 4 |
| 机密 | jīmì | secret; classified; classified information; secret | HSK 7-9 |
| 密封 | mìfēng | to seal up | HSK 7-9 |
| 严密 | yánmì | tight; strict; closely controlled; rigorous and thorough | HSK 7-9 |
| 泄密 | xièmì | to leak secrets | HSK 7-9 |
| 密度 | mìdù | density; concentration | HSK 7-9 |
| 密集 | mìjí | concentrated; crowded together | HSK 7-9 |
| 茂密 | màomì | dense (of plant growth); lush | HSK 7-9 |
| 周密 | zhōumì | careful; thorough; meticulous | HSK 7-9 |
密 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 密
How many strokes are in 密?
密 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 密 mean?
密 (mì) means dense; close; thick; intimate; close; (bound form) secret; confidential. A common word with it is 秘密 (mìmì), meaning "secret; private; confidential; clandestine; a secret".
How do you pronounce 密?
密 is pronounced mì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 密?
The radical of 密 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 密 under this radical.
Is 密 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 密 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What does 密我 mean online?
In internet slang 密 can be a verb meaning to send someone a private message, like DM in English. 有事密我 (yǒu shì mì wǒ) means DM me if you need anything.
Is 秘 the same as 密?
No. 秘 (mì) means secret or hidden, and the two combine in 秘密 (mìmì). 密 has the wider range, because it also means dense and close, as in 密切 (mìqiè) and 紧密 (jǐnmì).