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敏 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
敏
mǐn
quick
ag, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #8207, Very Hard
敏
mǐn
nimble
ag, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #8207, Very Hard
敏
mǐn
agile
ag, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #8207, Very Hard
敏
mǐn
clever
ag, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #8207, Very Hard
敏
mǐn
smart
ag, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #8207, Very Hard
敏
mǐn
fast, quick; clever, smart
ag, 11 strokes, radical 攵, rank #8207, Very Hard
mǐn(min3)min T3
1quick
2nimble
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
敏mǐn(min3)
The character 敏 (mǐn) primarily means 'quick' or 'agile,' often used to describe a person's mental or physical speed and cleverness. It can also imply a certain level of intelligence or astuteness in situations requiring quick thinking or adaptability.
Strokes11Radical攵Frequency#8207DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note
In Chinese culture, being described as 敏 is often a compliment, indicating not only speed but also wisdom and adaptability, traits valued in both personal and professional life.
Memory tip
Imagine a nimble cat (猫, māo) darting swiftly around, showcasing its agility and cleverness. The character 敏 looks like a cat running fast, with the '土' (earth) at the bottom representing the ground it swiftly navigates.
Meanings of 敏
mǐn(min3)
1quick
2nimble
Exercise 1 of 2
By ear
Play it, then pick what 敏 means.
About 敏
敏Simplified
11Strokes
攵Radical
形容词性语素xíngróngcíadjective root (adj.root)Part of Speech
#8207Frequency Rank
Podcast: 敏
Podcast: 敏
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AI study notes for 敏
Quick Contrast
灵 (líng) - use 敏 (mǐn) when emphasizing quickness or agility in thought or action, while 灵 (líng) often refers to being clever or spiritually responsive.
Usage Notes
While 敏 is often used in both informal and formal contexts, be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters like 明 (míng), which means 'bright.' Common collocations include 敏捷 (mǐnjié - agile) and 敏感 (mǐngǎn - sensitive). Pay attention to the third tone to avoid misunderstanding.
HSK Study Tips
Although 敏 is not an HSK word, it relates to other HSK vocabulary like 聪明 (cōngmíng - smart) and 快 (kuài - fast). Students should focus on recognizing its use in describing abilities and characteristics in conversations.
Common Mistakes
Learners often misuse 敏 by confusing it with other similar characters. For instance, saying '他很敏感' (tā hěn mǐngǎn - he is very sensitive) when they mean 'quick' is incorrect. Make sure to use 敏 in contexts related to speed or cleverness.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 敏
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How well do you know 敏?
Example
Learning Lab
Knowing 敏 is seven skills, not one.
Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.
敏 = 攵 + 每. What kind of character does that make it?
Decomposition of 敏
IDS Structure⿰每攵
敏Full character
=
每mei3
left
攵pu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Parts
Which of these is part of 敏?
How to say quick in Chinese
“quick” in Chinese is敏mǐn
The character 敏 (mǐn) primarily means 'quick' or 'agile,' often used to describe a person's mental or physical speed and cleverness. It can also imply a certain level of intelligence or astuteness in situations requiring quick thinking or adaptability.
When to use 敏
While 敏 is often used in both informal and formal contexts, be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters like 明 (míng), which means 'bright.' Common collocations include 敏捷 (mǐnjié - agile) and 敏感 (mǐngǎn - sensitive). Pay attention to the third tone to avoid misunderstanding.
敏 or something close to it
灵 (líng) - use 敏 (mǐn) when emphasizing quickness or agility in thought or action, while 灵 (líng) often refers to being clever or spiritually responsive.
What learners get wrong
Learners often misuse 敏 by confusing it with other similar characters. For instance, saying '他很敏感' (tā hěn mǐngǎn - he is very sensitive) when they mean 'quick' is incorrect. Make sure to use 敏 in contexts related to speed or cleverness.
Write 敏
敏
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Practice writing 敏 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar patterns of 敏
敏 carries 6 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.
Exercise 1 of 4
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
黑暗中我的听觉变得异常灵____。
In the dark my sense of hearing becomes so acute.
Common confusions with 敏
敏vs闷
mèn
Similar shape and sound, but meanings are different.
Exercise 1 of 1
Which one
Which one means “quick”?
or
Example sentences for 敏 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
黑暗中我的听觉变得异常灵敏。
hēi’àn zhōng wǒ de tīngjué biàn de yìcháng língmǐn。
In the dark my sense of hearing becomes so acute.
2
“整本书你都读完了吗？”她目光敏锐地问道。
“ zhěng běn shū nǐ dōu dú wánle ma？” tā mùguāng mǐnruì dì wèn dào。
"Have you read the whole book?" she asks, gimlet-eyed.
Sensitive Cream will not strip away the skin's protective layer.
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Word Family of 敏
Compounds1
鳘mǐncodfish
Words containing this character11
敏感mǐngǎnsensitive
过敏guòmǐnallergic過敏
敏mǐnquick
敏锐mǐnruìkeen敏銳
敏捷mǐnjiénimble
灵敏língmǐnsmart靈敏
敏感性mǐngǎnxìngsensitive
过敏性guòmǐnxìnghypersensitive過敏性
灵敏度língmǐndù(level of) sensitivity靈敏度
机敏jīmǐnagility機敏
聪敏cōngmǐnquick聰敏
Exercise 1 of 4
Characters with 敏
What does 鳘 mean?
Frequently asked questions about 敏
Yes, 敏 is often found in phrases that emphasize quickness or cleverness. For instance, the phrase 敏思 (mǐnsī) refers to quick thinking or agility of thought.
Some synonyms for 敏 include 机灵 (jīlíng), which means clever or smart, and 灵活 (línghuó), meaning flexible or agile. These words share similar connotations of quickness and intelligence.
敏 (mǐn) means quick, nimble, agile, clever, or smart. It is often used to describe someone who is quick-witted or sharp in understanding.
You can use 敏 in a sentence to describe someone's agility or intelligence, for example: 他反应敏捷 (tā fǎnyìng mǐnjié) means 'He has a quick reaction.' This showcases the ability to respond swiftly to situations.
You can say '他很敏捷' (tā hěn mǐnjié), meaning 'He is very agile.'
It can refer to both physical and mental agility, but it often emphasizes quick thinking.
No, 敏 is typically used to describe people or their qualities, not inanimate objects.
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