HSK 7, n, 14 strokes, radical 虫, rank #5279, Very Hard
蜜
mì
honey, nectar; sweet
HSK 7, n, 14 strokes, radical 虫, rank #5279, Very Hard
mì(mi4) T4
1honey
2honey, nectar; sweet
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
蜜mì(mi4)
The character 蜜 (mì) primarily means 'honey' or 'nectar.' It is commonly used in culinary contexts, referring to honey as a sweetener, and can also imply sweetness in a broader sense, such as a sweet personality or endearing qualities.
Strokes14Radical虫Frequency#5279DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
Honey holds a significant place in Chinese culture, often featured in traditional medicine and cuisine. It is also associated with sweetness in relationships and is a popular gift during festivals.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'bee' buzzing around the 'hive' to gather 'honey.' The character 蜜 features the radical for 'insect' (虫) on the left, hinting at bees, and the right side (密) sounds like 'mì,' helping you remember its connection to honey.
Meanings of 蜜
mì(mi4)
1honey
2honey, nectar; sweet
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 蜜
蜜Simplified
14Strokes
虫Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#5279Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2
Podcast: 蜜
Podcast: 蜜
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 蜜
Quick Contrast
蜜 (mì) vs 糖 (táng): Use 蜜 when referring specifically to honey or nectar, while 糖 is used for sugar in general.
Usage Notes
Avoid using 蜜 in overly formal contexts; it is generally casual. Common collocations include 蜜蜂 (mìfēng, bee) and 蜜糖 (mìtáng, honey sugar). Be careful with the tone; mispronouncing it as 'mǐ' (rice) changes the meaning entirely.
HSK Study Tips
Although 蜜 is not currently at an HSK level, it connects well with HSK 1-2 vocabulary like 糖 (táng, sugar) and 水果 (shuǐguǒ, fruit). Focus on pronunciation and usage in sentences related to food.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 蜜 with 密 (mì), which means 'dense' or 'secret.' For example, saying '蜜秘' instead of '密秘' is incorrect; the former means 'honey secret' which doesn’t exist.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 蜜
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 蜜 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 宓 represents the sound.
1The meaning half虫 carries the sense.
2The sound half宓 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayinsect
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 蜜? 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 蜜?
Decomposition of 蜜
IDS Structure⿱宓虫
蜜Full Character
=
宓Mi4
top
虫chong2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 蜜?
How to say honey in Chinese
“honey” in Chinese is蜜mì
The character 蜜 (mì) primarily means 'honey' or 'nectar.' It is commonly used in culinary contexts, referring to honey as a sweetener, and can also imply sweetness in a broader sense, such as a sweet personality or endearing qualities.
When to use 蜜
Avoid using 蜜 in overly formal contexts; it is generally casual. Common collocations include 蜜蜂 (mìfēng, bee) and 蜜糖 (mìtáng, honey sugar). Be careful with the tone; mispronouncing it as 'mǐ' (rice) changes the meaning entirely.
蜜 or something close to it
蜜 (mì) vs 糖 (táng): Use 蜜 when referring specifically to honey or nectar, while 糖 is used for sugar in general.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 蜜 with 密 (mì), which means 'dense' or 'secret.' For example, saying '蜜秘' instead of '密秘' is incorrect; the former means 'honey secret' which doesn’t exist.
Write 蜜
蜜
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 蜜 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Write correctly 3 times to earn XP
Grammar Patterns of 蜜
蜜 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
____蜂之间所用的交流方式是昆虫中最为复杂的方式之一。
Honeybees use one of the most sophisticated communication systems of any insect.
Common Confusions with 蜜
蜜vs米
mǐ
米 and 蜜 have similar shapes but different meanings.
Exercise 1 of 1
Spot the Difference
Which character means "honey"?
or
Example Sentences for 蜜 (10)
Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
蜜蜂之间所用的交流方式是昆虫中最为复杂的方式之一。
mì fēng zhī jiān suǒ yòng de jiāo liú fāng shì shì kūn chóng zhōng zuì wéi fù zá de fāng shì zhī yī。
Honeybees use one of the most sophisticated communication systems of any insect.
2
他们无法理解怎么会有人相信她的甜言蜜语。
tā mén wú fǎ lǐ jiě zěn mó huì yǒu rén xiāng xìn tā de tián yán mì yǔ。
They could not understand how anyone could believe her honeyed words.
