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鸣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
Hanzi
Pinyin
English
Tags
鸣
míng
to cry (of birds, animals and insects)
HSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #11572, Very Hard
鸣
míng
a bird call or animal cry; to make a sound
HSK 7, v, 8 strokes, radical 口, rank #11572, Very Hard
míng(ming2)ming T2
1to cry (of birds, animals and insects)
2a bird call or animal cry; to make a sound
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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#11572DifficultyVery Hard
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
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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.
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.
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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How to say to cry (of birds, animals and insects) in Chinese
“to cry (of birds, animals and insects)” in Chinese is鸣míng
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.
When to use 鸣
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).
鸣 or something close to it
鸣 (míng) vs 叫 (jiào) — use 鸣 for natural sounds made by animals, while 叫 is more general for calling or yelling.
What learners get wrong
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.
Write 鸣
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
Fill the gap
Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.
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.
Example sentences for 鸣 (10)
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1
汽船向我们嘟嘟鸣笛时，甲板上的水手们饶有趣味地挥着手。
qì chuán xiàng wǒmen dū dū míng dí shí， jiǎ bǎn shàng de shuǐshǒu men ráo yǒuqù wèi dì huī zhuóshǒu。
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。
guānyuán men duì nà yī tiān de shùnlì dùguò zì míng déyì。
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。
kǎchē dǎochē hé diàotóu de shíhou， wǒ tīngjiàn fādòng Jī de hōng míng shēng。
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。
tāmen bùshí dì tīngdào dà kǎchē 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 huā zī yǐjīng zài wèi zìjǐ quèdìng wúyí de shènglì zì míng déyì 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 déyì， wàng hū suǒyǐ。
Anthony was giddy with self-satisfaction.
7
鸟儿叫，蜂儿鸣。
niǎo ér jiào， fēng ér míng。
The birds sang, the bees hummed.
8
他鸣铃叫仆人过来.
tā míng líng jiào pū rén guòlái.
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 bāo qìngzhù nǚ wáng de shēngrì.
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 dōushì zì míng déyì、 dào mào àn rán de fèihuà。
He writes smug, sanctimonious waffle.
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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léimíngthunder rolls雷鳴
轰鸣hōngmíngrumble轟鳴
一鸣惊人yìmíngjīngrénto amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom); an overnight celebrity一鳴驚人
鸣枪míngqiāngto fire warning shots鳴槍
自鸣得意zìmíngdéyìto think highly of oneself自鳴得意
鸣笛míngdíto hoot鳴笛
耳鸣ěrmíngtinnitus耳鳴
鸣叫míngjiàoto emit a sound鳴叫
奏鸣曲zòumíngqǔsonata奏鳴曲
鸣谢míngxièvote of thanks鳴謝
蜂鸣器fēngmíngqìbuzzer蜂鳴器
悲鸣bēimínglament悲鳴
百家争鸣bǎijiāzhēngmínga 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niǎomíngbirdsong鳥鳴
哀鸣āimíngwhine哀鳴
争鸣zhēngmíngto contend爭鳴
鸣不平míngbùpíngto protest unfairness鳴不平
孤掌难鸣gūzhǎngnánmíngIt takes two to tango孤掌難鳴
Exercise 1 of 4
Words with 鸣
What does 共鸣 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.
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