鳴 meaning and stroke order
A bird call or animal cry; to make a sound
How to write 鳴, stroke by stroke
14 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 鳴
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cry (of birds, animals and insects)
- to make a sound
- to voice (one's gratitude, grievance etc)
How 鳴 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. The sound 口 a bird 鳥 makes.
Radical: 鳥 (bird), shared by 78 characters on this site.
How to remember 鳴
A mouth 口 (kǒu) next to a bird 鳥 (niǎo) gives you 鳴 (míng): the sound a bird makes with its mouth. Picture a bird opening its beak to sing.
鳴 is mostly used in written or set phrases rather than casual speech, for birds, insects, and things like bells or horns making a sound. It also means to voice feelings, as in 鳴謝 (míngxiè, to express thanks). Example: 鳥在樹上鳴叫。(Niǎo zài shù shàng míngjiào.) The birds are singing in the tree.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 鳴 (míng) with 鳥 (niǎo) or 鳩 (jiū) because they share the bird part, so check for the 口 on the left. Also do not mix it up with 明 (míng, bright), which sounds the same but means something else.
Common words with 鳴
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 共鳴 | gòngmíng | (physics) to resonate; resonance; sympathetic response | HSK 7-9 |
| 鳴叫 | míngjiào | to emit a sound; (of birds, insects etc) to chirp, hoot etc |
Questions about 鳴
How many strokes are in 鳴?
鳴 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 鳴 mean?
鳴 (míng) means a bird call or animal cry; to make a sound. A common word with it is 共鸣 (gòngmíng), meaning "(physics) to resonate; resonance; sympathetic response".
How do you pronounce 鳴?
鳴 is pronounced míng, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 鳴?
The radical of 鳴 is 鳥, which carries the idea of "bird". Dictionaries list 鳴 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 鳴?
鳴 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 鸣, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Why do I see both 鳴 and 鸣?
鳴 is the traditional form and 鸣 is the simplified form used in mainland China. Both are read míng and mean the same thing, as in 共鸣 (gòngmíng, resonance).
Can I use 鳴 for people speaking?
Not for normal talking. With people it is used for voicing a feeling in fixed phrases, such as 鳴不平 (míng bùpíng, to protest an injustice) or 鳴謝 (míngxiè, to express thanks).