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湄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
湄méibank, coast, shorezg, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #61379, Very Hard
湄méibrinkunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #61379, Very Hard
湄méiedgeunknown, 12 strokes, radical 氵, rank #61379, Very Hard
méi(mei2) T2
  1. 1bank, coast, shore
  2. 2brink
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

湄méi(mei2)

The character 湄 (méi) refers to the bank or shore of a river or lake. It implies a boundary or edge, often associated with natural water bodies. This character can also denote the brink of something, indicating a threshold or limit.

Strokes12Radical氵Frequency#61379DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese literature, rivers and their banks are often symbolic of transitions and journeys, making 湄 a word that carries deeper meanings in poetry and storytelling.

Memory Tip

Imagine standing on the edge of a riverbank, feeling the cool breeze. The character 湄 has a water radical (氵) on the left, reminding you of the water, while the right side looks like a person standing at the edge (未), emphasizing the idea of being on the brink.

Meanings of 湄

méi(mei2)
1bank, coast, shore
2brink
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 湄

湄Simplified
12Strokes
氵Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 湄

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Podcast: 湄

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AI Study Notes for 湄

Usage Notes

Be mindful that 湄 is more formal and literary compared to the more common 水边 (shuǐ biān) for 'riverbank.' It is often used in poetic or descriptive contexts. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words like 美 (měi), which means 'beautiful.'

HSK Study Tips

While 湄 is not an HSK level word, it connects to other water-related vocabulary such as 河 (hé, river) and 湖 (hú, lake) which are useful for HSK learners. Focus on the context in which this character might be used, particularly in literature or geography.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 湄 with similar characters like 美 (měi) due to their phonetic similarity. Remember, 湄 relates to water banks, while 美 means 'beautiful.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 湄

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Etymology of 湄

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)眉
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 湄

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half眉 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 湄? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 湄?

Decomposition of 湄

IDS Structure⿰氵眉
湄Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
眉mei2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 湄?

How to say bank, coast, shore in Chinese

“bank, coast, shore” in Chinese is湄méi

The character 湄 (méi) refers to the bank or shore of a river or lake. It implies a boundary or edge, often associated with natural water bodies. This character can also denote the brink of something, indicating a threshold or limit.

When to use 湄

Be mindful that 湄 is more formal and literary compared to the more common 水边 (shuǐ biān) for 'riverbank.' It is often used in poetic or descriptive contexts. Avoid confusing it with similar-sounding words like 美 (měi), which means 'beautiful.'

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 湄 with similar characters like 美 (měi) due to their phonetic similarity. Remember, 湄 relates to water banks, while 美 means 'beautiful.'

Write 湄

湄

Practice writing 湄 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 湄

Words Containing This Character6
湄公河Mekong River
湄méibrink
湄潭Meitan county in Zun'yi 遵義|遵义[Zūn​yì], Guizhou
湄潭县Meitan county in Zun'yi 遵義|遵义[Zūn​yì], Guizhou湄潭縣
湄洲岛Meizhou Island (Putian)湄洲島
湄公河三角洲Mekong River delta
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 湄公河 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 湄

While both refer to edges, 湄 specifically denotes water's edge like a riverbank, whereas 岸 refers more broadly to a bank or shore, including land areas.

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