Meaning of 明明
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- obviously
- plainly
- undoubtedly
- definitely
How to use 明明
明明 is used to point out an obvious fact, usually followed by a contrast that shows surprise, complaint, or blame. It often pairs with 却, 可是, or 还 in the next clause. Example: 他明明知道，却不告诉我。(Tā míngmíng zhīdào, què bù gàosu wǒ.) He clearly knew, yet he didn't tell me.
明 (míng) is built from 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), so it means bright and clear. Say it twice, 明明, and something is so clear it is plain as day.
Common mistake: Learners often use 明明 as a neutral word for "obviously," but it usually carries a sense of contradiction or annoyance, so for a plain statement 显然 (xiǎnrán) or 当然 (dāngrán) fits better. Also keep both syllables in the second tone. Do not soften the second 明 into a neutral tone the way 明白 (míngbai) does.
明明 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
明 míng · bright · 8 strokes
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明 míng · bright · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 明明.
| 明白 | míngbai | clear; obvious; unequivocal; sensible; reasonable |
| 明天 | míngtiān | tomorrow |
| 明年 | míngnián | next year |
| 说明 | shuōmíng | to explain; to illustrate |
| 明星 | míngxīng | star; celebrity |
| 证明 | zhèngmíng | proof; certificate |
| 明显 | míngxiǎn | clear; distinct |
| 发明 | fāmíng | to invent; an invention |
| 表明 | biǎomíng | to make clear; to make known |
| 文明 | wénmíng | civilized; civilization |
| 明确 | míngquè | clear-cut; definite; explicit; to clarify; to specify; to make definite |
| 声明 | shēngmíng | to state; to declare |
Questions about 明明
What does 明明 mean?
明明 (míngmíng) means "obviously; plainly" and is used as a adverb.
How do you write 明明?
明明 is made of 2 characters: 明 (8 strokes), 明 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 明明 an HSK word?
Yes. 明明 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Where does 明明 go in a sentence?
It goes after the subject and before the verb or adjective, like other adverbs. For example, 你明明看见了 (nǐ míngmíng kànjiàn le), you clearly saw it. It can also come before the subject for emphasis: 明明是你错了 (míngmíng shì nǐ cuò le), it was obviously your fault.
Is 明明 also used as a name?
Yes. 明明 is a common nickname or baby name in China, since doubling a syllable sounds affectionate. In that case it is a noun, not the adverb.