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March 24, 2026
鸣(鳴)míng(ming2)
The character 鸣 (míng) primarily means to cry or make a sound, especially in reference to birds, animals, and insects. It is commonly used in contexts where one describes the calls of nature, such as bird songs or animal cries. It can also be used metaphorically to describe any sound-making action.
Strokes8Radical口Frequency#11572DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In traditional Chinese culture, the sounds of birds are often associated with poetry and nature appreciation, symbolizing beauty and harmony. 鸣 is frequently used in classical poetry to evoke emotions and natural scenery.
Memory Tip
Imagine a bird singing a sweet song at dawn, its叫声 (jiàoshēng) echoing through the air. The character 鸣 is like a bird's beak, open wide as it calls out. Remember 'míng' sounds a bit like 'mingling' with nature, where sounds of birds mingle in the morning.
Meanings of 鸣
míng(ming2)
1to cry (of birds, animals and insects)
2a bird call or animal cry; to make a sound
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 鸣
鸣Simplified
鳴Traditional
8Strokes
口Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#11572Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7
Podcast: 鸣
Podcast: 鸣
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AI Study Notes for 鸣
Quick Contrast
鸣 (míng) vs 叫 (jiào) — use 鸣 for natural sounds made by animals, while 叫 is more general for calling or yelling.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a bird singing a sweet song at dawn, its叫声 (jiàoshēng) echoing through the air. The character 鸣 is like a bird's beak, open wide as it calls out. Remember 'míng' sounds a bit like 'mingling' with nature, where sounds of birds mingle in the morning.
Usage Notes
Learners often mix up 鸣 with similar-sounding characters but remember that 鸣 is specifically for the sounds made by animals. It is typically used in informal contexts, so avoid using it in overly formal writing. Common collocations include 鸟鸣 (niǎo míng, bird song) and 哭鸣 (kū míng, to cry out).
HSK Study Tips
Although 鸣 is not in the official HSK vocabulary lists, it connects well with HSK Level 2 words related to nature and sounds, such as 声音 (shēngyīn, sound). Focus on using it in sentences to describe animal sounds as you expand your vocabulary.
Cultural Note
In traditional Chinese culture, the sounds of birds are often associated with poetry and nature appreciation, symbolizing beauty and harmony. 鸣 is frequently used in classical poetry to evoke emotions and natural scenery.
Common Mistakes
Learners may confuse 鸣 with 鸣 and mistakenly use it for human crying, saying '我在鸣' (wǒ zài míng) instead of '我在哭' (wǒ zài kū). Remember, 鸣 is reserved for animal sounds.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 鸣
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Grammar Patterns of 鸣
鸣 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. 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
汽船向我们嘟嘟____笛时，甲板上的水手们饶有趣味地挥着手。
Steamers tooted at us as sailors on deck waved in amusement.
Steamers tooted at us as sailors on deck waved in amusement.
2
官员们对那一天的顺利度过自鸣得意。
guān yuán mén duì nà yī tiān de shùn lì dù guò zì míng dé yì。
Officials were self-congratulatory about how well the day had gone.
3
卡车倒车和掉头的时候，我听见发动机的轰鸣声。
kǎ chē dǎo chē hé diào tóu de shí hòu， ， wǒ tīng jiàn fā dòng jī de hōng míng。
I heard the engines revving as the lorries backed and turned.
4
他们不时地听到大卡车的轰鸣声。
tā mén bù shí dì tīng dào dà kǎ chē de hōng míng shēng。
Now and then they heard the roar of a heavy truck.
5
爱德华兹已经在为自己确定无疑的胜利自鸣得意了。
ài dé huá zī yǐ jīng zài wéi zì jǐ què dìng wú yí de shèng lì zì míng dé yì le。
Edwards is already crowing about his assured victory.
6
安东尼自鸣得意，忘乎所以。
ān dōng ní zì míng dé yì， ， wàng hū suǒ。
Anthony was giddy with self-satisfaction.
7
鸟儿叫，蜂儿鸣。
niǎo ér jiào， ， fēng ér。
The birds sang, the bees hummed.
8
他鸣铃叫仆人过来.
tā míng líng jiào pū rén guò lái.
He rang for the servant to come up.
9
鸣 二十一 响礼炮庆祝女王的生日.
míng èr shí yī xiǎng lǐ páo qìng zhù nǚ wáng de.
The Queen's birthday was honoured by a 21 - gun salute.
10
他写的满篇都是自鸣得意、道貌岸然的废话。
tā xiě de mǎn piān dū shì zì míng dé yì、 、 dào mào àn rán de fèi。
He writes smug, sanctimonious waffle.
Cultural Notes for 鸣
🏮Cultural insight
In traditional Chinese culture, the sounds of birds are often associated with poetry and nature appreciation, symbolizing beauty and harmony. 鸣 is frequently used in classical poetry to evoke emotions and natural scenery.
Word Family of 鸣
Words Containing This Character20
鸣míngto cry (of birds, animals and insects)鳴
共鸣gòngmíngresonance (physics)共鳴
雷鸣thunder rolls雷鳴
轰鸣rumble轟鳴
一鸣惊人to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom); an overnight celebrity一鳴驚人
鸣枪to fire warning shots鳴槍
自鸣得意to think highly of oneself自鳴得意
鸣笛to hoot鳴笛
耳鸣tinnitus耳鳴
鸣叫to emit a sound鳴叫
奏鸣曲sonata奏鳴曲
鸣谢vote of thanks鳴謝
蜂鸣器buzzer蜂鳴器
悲鸣lament悲鳴
百家争鸣a hundred schools of thought contend (idiom); refers to the classical philosophic schools of the Warring States period 475-221 BC百家爭鳴
鸟鸣birdsong鳥鳴
哀鸣whine哀鳴
争鸣to contend爭鳴
鸣不平to protest unfairness鳴不平
孤掌难鸣It takes two to tango孤掌難鳴
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 鸣 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 鸣
No, 鸣 is specifically for animals and birds; for human sounds, use 哭 (kū) for crying.
It might not be used daily but is common in discussions about nature, animals, or in literary contexts.
Similar words include 叫 (jiào, to shout) and 嚎 (háo, howling), but they have different contexts.
