Writing
聪明 (cōngmíng) — how to say "clever" in Chinese
聪明
Clever, smart
adjective
Character composition
聪
sharp hearing
明
clear, bright
Radicals / Keys
日
Sun
#72 · rì · 4 strokes
耳
Ear
#128 · ěr · 6 strokes
Collocations
聪明人
cōngmíng rén
smart person
聪明孩子
cōngmíng háizi
smart child
Examples
她不仅聪明，而且学习非常努力，所以成绩总是很好。
She is not only smart but also studies very hard, so her grades are always good.
这个孩子很聪明。
This child is very smart.
Mnemonic
[cōngming-] Tsong the Owl, renowned for his genius, perches on a tree branch and listens with his sharp hearing 聪 to the forest sounds. As he gazes at the bright 明 stars above, he feels himself becoming cleverer with each twinkle 🌟. Inspired, he hoots softly, knowing the secret to being 聪明 is all around him.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "clever" in Chinese?
"clever" in Chinese is 聪明 (cōngmíng).
聪明 meaning in English
聪明 (cōngmíng) means "Clever, smart".
Clever in Chinese pinyin
It is pronounced cōngmíng (written as congming). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "clever" in Chinese characters?
It is written 聪明: 聪 has 15 strokes, 明 has 8 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 聪明?
聪明 belongs to the HSK 3 vocabulary list.
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