明
bright · light
Details
Description
Bright - sun and moon together. Light, clarity, and understanding something at last.
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of sun and moon. Brightness of sun and moon.
Symbolism
Bright, explanation, civilization. Represents light and understanding.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Bright future
Component Breakdown
left-right: sun + moon
Words & Expressions
Four-Character Compounds
公明正大
こうめいせいだい
fair; just and upright; open and honest
山紫水明
さんしすいめい
scenic beauty
天地神明
てんちしんめい
the gods of heaven and earth
不在証明
ふざいしょうめい
alibi
直截簡明
ちょくせつかんめい
plain and simple; straightforward
明々白々
めいめいはくはく
clearly evident; quite obvious; as clear as day
明鏡止水
めいきょうしすい
clear and serene (as a polished mirror and still water)
文明開化
ぶんめいかいか
civilization and enlightenment; Japan's Westernization movement during the Meiji era (Westernisation)
風光明媚
ふうこうめいび
scenic; beautiful; picturesque
明眸皓歯
めいぼうこうし
starry eyes and beautiful white teeth (said of beautiful women)
簡単明瞭
かんたんめいりょう
simple and clear
旗幟鮮明
きしせんめい
making one's attitude (position, stand) clear; unfurling and clearly showing one's banner
事理明白
じりめいはく
facts being beyond dispute; logic being indisputable
単純明快
たんじゅんめいかい
simple and clear; plain and simple
明窓浄机
めいそうじょうき
dustless desk by a well-lit window; well-lit and clean study conducive to learning
明朗闊達
めいろうかったつ
upbeat and freehearted; cheerful and magnanimous
論旨明快
ろんしめいかい
the point of an argument being clearly stated; the tenor of an argument being well-reasoned
簡潔明瞭
かんけつめいりょう
clear and concise
簡明直截
かんめいちょくせつ
simple and plain; frank, direct and unambivalent; straightforward
真相究明
しんそうきゅうめい
probe into the truth (of the matter); dig into the real facts of the case; get at the root of a matter
頭脳明晰
ずのうめいせき
being clearheaded; having a keen (sharp, brilliant) mind
清風明月
せいふうめいげつ
refreshing breeze and the bright moon; a beautiful nocturnal scene with a full moon
無色透明
むしょくとうめい
colorless and transparent
明哲保身
めいてつほしん
wisdom and self-protection; wise and skilled in the art of self-protection
明朗快活
めいろうかいかつ
cheerful and openhearted
柳暗花明
りゅうあんかめい
beautiful scenery of spring; red-light district
無明長夜
むみょうじょうや
the long night of spiritual darkness
燃犀之明
ねんさいのめい
extraordinary perceptiveness; sharp insight
Proverbs & Idioms
明日は明日の風が吹く
あしたはあしたのかぜがふく
Tomorrow's wind will blow tomorrow
Tomorrow will take care of itself
明日ありと思う心の仇桜
あすありとおもうこころのあだざくら
Tomorrow's cherry blossoms may fall
Don't take tomorrow for granted
Poetry
今こむと 言ひしばかりに 長月の 有明の月を 待ちいでつるかな
Only because you said you would come at once, I waited through the long ninth month until the dawn moon rose.
夏の夜は まだ宵ながら 明けぬるを 雲のいづこに 月やどるらむ
On a summer night dawn breaks while it still feels like evening. In which cloud, then, has the moon taken lodging?
明けぬれば 暮るるものとは 知りながら なほうらめしき 朝ぼらけかな
I know that once it dawns the night will come again, and still the daybreak is hateful to me.
嘆きつつ ひとり寝る夜の 明くるまは いかに久しき ものとかは知る
Do you know how long it takes for dawn to come, lying alone and grieving through the night?
夜もすがら 物思ふころは 明けやらで 閨のひまさへ つれなかりけり
All night long in this season of brooding, dawn will not come; even the gap in the shutters is unkind.
Anime & Manga
メイドインアビス 深き魂の黎明
Made in Abyss: Dawn of the Deep Soul
A well-known work with 明 in its Japanese title.
理系が恋に落ちたので証明してみた。
Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It
A well-known work with 明 in its Japanese title.
パリピ孔明
Ya Boy Kongming!
A well-known work with 明 in its Japanese title.
色づく世界の明日から
IRODUKU: The World in Colors
A well-known work with 明 in its Japanese title.
るろうに剣心 -明治剣客浪漫譚-
Rurouni Kenshin
A well-known work with 明 in its Japanese title.
Related Figures & Stories
明仁
Name contains 明
Akihito is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April…
Wikipedia明治天皇
Name contains 明
Emperor Meiji , personal name Mutsuhito, was Emperor of Japan from 30 January 1867 until his death in 1912.
Wikipedia加藤高明
Name contains 明
Count Katō Takaaki , also known as Katō Kōmei, was a Japanese politician, diplomat, and Prime Minister of Japan from 1924 until his death on 28…
Wikipedia明智光秀
Name contains 明
Akechi Mitsuhide , first called Jūbei from his clan and later Koretō Hyūga no Kami from his title, was a Japanese samurai general of the Sengoku…
WikipediaOther kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 明 mean in Japanese?
明 means bright, light. Bright - sun and moon together. Light, clarity, and understanding something at last.
How do you read 明?
On'yomi: メイ、ミョウ、ミン (MEI, MYOU, MIN). Kun'yomi: あ.かり、あか.るい、あか.るむ、あか.らむ、あき.らか、あ.ける、-あ.け、あ.く、あ.くる、あ.かす (akari, akarui, akarumu, akaramu, akiraka, akeru, ake, aku, akuru, akasu).
How many strokes does 明 have?
明 has 8 strokes. Its radical is 日 (sun).
Is 明 a good kanji for a tattoo?
明 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means bright, light. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.