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蜜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
honeyHSK 7, n, 14 strokes, radical 虫, rank #5279, Hard
honey, nectar; sweetHSK 7, n, 14 strokes, radical 虫, rank #5279, Hard
(mi4) T4
  1. 1honey
  2. 2honey, nectar; sweet
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(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.

Strokes14RadicalFrequency#5279DifficultyHard
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

(mi4)
1honey
2honey, nectar; sweet
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蜜

Simplified
14Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#5279Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 蜜

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Podcast:

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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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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

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Etymology of 蜜

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

Phonosemantic compound. 虫 represents the meaning and 宓 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

insect

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蜜?

Decomposition of 蜜

IDS Structure⿱宓虫
Full Character
=
Mi4
top
chong2
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蜜?

Write 蜜

Practice writing 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

vs

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.
3
如果你喜欢吃甜的就多加点蜂蜜。

rú guǒ nǐ xǐ huān chī tián de jiù duō jiā diǎn fēng mì。

Add more honey if you have a sweet tooth.
4
加一点蜂蜜或浓缩苹果汁或梨汁,让菜带点甜味。

jiā yī diǎn fēng mì huò nóng suō píng guǒ zhī huò lí zhī, , ràng cài dài diǎn tián。

Sweeten dishes sparingly with honey, or con-centrated apple or pear juice.
5
加点蜂蜜来调和酸味。

jiā diǎn fēng mì lái tiáo hé suān wèi。

Add honey to counterbalance the acidity.
6
澳大利亚人把香蕉炸了,然后再淋上蜂蜜吃。

ào dà lì yà rén bǎ xiāng jiāo zhà le, , rán hòu zài lín shàng fēng mì。

The Australians fry their bananas and sweeten them with honey.
7
他们看起来非常恩爱,柔情蜜意溢于言表。

tā mén kàn qǐ lái fēi cháng ēn ài, , róu qíng mì yì yì yú yán。

They seemed devoted to each other and were openly affectionate.
8
蜜蜂在花丛中懒洋洋地嗡嗡叫着。

mì fēng zài huā cóng zhōng lǎn yáng yáng dì wēng wēng jiào zháo。

Bees buzzed lazily among the flowers.
9
花园里到处都是蜜蜂嗡嗡叫的声音.

huā yuán lǐ dào chǔ dū shì mì fēng wēng wēng jiào de shēng yīn.

The garden was humming with the sound of bees.
10
蜜蜂在花园里嗡嗡地叫.

mì fēng zài huā yuán lǐ wēng wēng dì jiào.

The bees were humming in the garden.

Cultural Notes for 蜜

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 蜜

Words Containing This Character20
甜蜜tiánmìsweet
honey
蜜蜂mìfēngbee
蜂蜜fēngmìhoney
蜜月mìyuèhoneymoon
甜言蜜语sweet talk甜言蜜語
蜜糖honey
水蜜桃honey peach
甜蜜蜜very sweet
蜜桃honey peach
蜜饯food preserved in sugar or honey蜜餞
花蜜nectar
蜜枣candied jujube蜜棗
糖蜜molasses
蜜柑tangerine
蜜罐honey pot
蜜语sweet words蜜語
菠萝蜜jackfruit菠蘿蜜
口蜜腹剑lit. honeyed words, a sword in the belly (idiom); fig. hypocritical and murderous口蜜腹劍
蜜蜡beeswax蜜蠟
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 甜蜜 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蜜

You can say '我喜欢蜂蜜' (Wǒ xǐhuān fēngmì) which means 'I like honey.'