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緬 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
緬miǎndistant, remote; to think ofzg, 15 strokes, radical 糹
miǎn(mian3) T3
  1. 1distant, remote; to think of
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March 24, 2026

緬miǎn(mian3)

The character 緬 (miǎn) primarily means 'distant' or 'remote' and can also imply 'to think of' in a nostalgic or reflective sense. This character is often used in literary contexts or when describing memories and feelings about faraway places or times.

Strokes15Radical糹
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of longing for the past, represented by 緬, is often seen in poetry and literature, particularly in works that reflect on family, history, and lost places. This makes it a poignant term in discussions about heritage and identity.

Memory Tip

Imagine a distant mountain range (the 'remote' aspect), with a long, winding road that leads to it. The character 緬 combines the radical 糸 (silk) at the top, signifying something delicate or far away, with the phonetic component 免 (miǎn), which sounds similar. Visualize silk threads connecting memories to that distant mountain.

Meanings of 緬

miǎn(mian3)
1distant, remote; to think of
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 緬

緬Simplified
15Strokes
糹Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 緬

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Podcast: 緬

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AI Study Notes for 緬

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 緬 with similar-sounding terms or characters. It is more commonly used in written or formal contexts rather than casual conversation. Be careful with the tone; miǎn (third tone) should not be pronounced as miàn (fourth tone), which means 'to face' or 'to meet'.

HSK Study Tips

Although this character is not part of the official HSK list, it can be related to HSK Level 4 vocabulary focusing on emotions and reflections. Students should practice using it in sentences that evoke nostalgia to reinforce its meaning and usage.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 緬 with the character 免 (miǎn), which means 'to avoid' or 'to exempt.' For example, saying '我免懷過去' (Wǒ miǎn huái guòqù) instead of '我緬懷過去' (Wǒ miǎn huái guòqù) alters the intended meaning.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 緬

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Etymology of 緬

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

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 面 represents the sound. Simplified form of 緬.

Memory Hint

thread

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 緬

Phonosemantic compound. 纟 represents the meaning and 面 represents the sound. Simplified form of 緬.

  1. 1The meaning half糹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half面 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 緬? 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 緬?

Decomposition of 緬

IDS Structure⿰糹面
緬Full Character
=
糹si1
left
面mian4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 緬?

How to say distant, remote; to think of in Chinese

“distant, remote; to think of” in Chinese is緬miǎn

The character 緬 (miǎn) primarily means 'distant' or 'remote' and can also imply 'to think of' in a nostalgic or reflective sense. This character is often used in literary contexts or when describing memories and feelings about faraway places or times.

When to use 緬

Learners often confuse 緬 with similar-sounding terms or characters. It is more commonly used in written or formal contexts rather than casual conversation. Be careful with the tone; miǎn (third tone) should not be pronounced as miàn (fourth tone), which means 'to face' or 'to meet'.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes confuse 緬 with the character 免 (miǎn), which means 'to avoid' or 'to exempt.' For example, saying '我免懷過去' (Wǒ miǎn huái guòqù) instead of '我緬懷過去' (Wǒ miǎn huái guòqù) alters the intended meaning.

Write 緬

緬

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 緬

Words Containing This Character6
缅甸Myanmar (or Burma)緬甸
缅怀miǎnhuáito commemorate緬懷
缅因州Maine, US state緬因州
缅miǎndistant緬
缅因Maine, US state緬因
缅文Burmese (language, esp. written)緬文
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 缅甸 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 緬

You can say '我緬懷我的家鄉' (Wǒ miǎnhuái wǒ de jiāxiāng), meaning 'I reminisce about my hometown.'

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