萌

See also: 萠 and 朝

萌 U+840C, 萌 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-840C ← 萋 [U+840B] CJK Unified Ideographs 萍 → [U+840D]

Translingual

Han character

萌 (Kangxi radical 140, 艸+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 廿日月 (TAB), four-corner 4462₇, composition ⿱艹明)

Derived characters

• 𢅆, 橗, 𫄁, 𬠫, 𧾆, 𬝡, 𢡗

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1041, character 5
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 31265
• Dae Jaweon: page 1499, character 26
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3233, character 14
• Unihan data for U+840C

Chinese

trad.		萌
simp. #		萌

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (明) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
莔	*mraːŋ, *qʰɯd
明	*mraŋ
盟	*mraŋ, *mraːŋs
萌	*mreːŋ
奣	*ʔmraːŋʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *mreːŋ): semantic 艹 (“grass; plant”) + phonetic 明 (OC *mraŋ).

Etymology 1

“to bud; to begin”

Compare Lepcha ᰖᰮ (mlam, “shoots that sprout from stump of tree”) (Schuessler, 2007).

“moe”

Orthographic borrowing from Japanese 萌え (moe).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): méng (meng²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄥˊ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): mong²

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mang⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): mang³

• Gan (Wiktionary): min⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): mèn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): mên²

• Jin (Wiktionary): meng¹
• Northern Min (KCR): měng
• Eastern Min (BUC): mèng
• Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): morng²
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): bêng

  (Teochew, Peng'im): mêng⁵

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶men
• Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): mong² / min²

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: méng
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: méng
    • Wade–Giles: mêng²
    • Yale: méng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: meng
    • Palladius: мэн (mɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɤŋ³⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: mong²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: mung
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /moŋ²¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: mang⁴
    • Yale: màhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mang⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: meng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐŋ²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: mang³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐbaŋ²²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: min⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /min³⁵/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mèn
    • Hakka Romanization System: men^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: men²
    • Sinological IPA: /men¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: mên²
    • Sinological IPA: /mɛn¹¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: meng¹
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /məŋ¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: měng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /meiŋ²¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: mèng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɛiŋ⁵³/
• Puxian Min
  • (Putian)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: morng²
    • Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: mó̤ng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɒŋ¹³/
  • (Xianyou)
    • Pouseng Ping'ing: morng²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɒŋ²⁴/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng
    • Tâi-lô: bîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: beeng
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: mêng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /meŋ⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶men
    • MiniDict: men^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³men
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /mən²³/
• Xiang
  • (Changsha)
    • Wiktionary: mong² / min²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (old-style): /mʊŋ¹³/, /min¹³/
    • Sinological IPA ^(key) (new-style): /mən¹³/, /min¹³/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 萌
Mandarin	Beijing	/məŋ³⁵/
	Harbin	/məŋ²⁴/
	Tianjin	/məŋ⁴⁵/
	Jinan	/məŋ⁴²/
	Qingdao	/məŋ⁴²/
	Zhengzhou	/məŋ⁴²/
	Xi'an	/məŋ²⁴/
	Xining	/mə̃²⁴/
	Yinchuan	/məŋ⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/mə̃n⁵³/
	Ürümqi	/mɤŋ²¹³/
	Wuhan	/moŋ²¹³/
	Chengdu	/moŋ³¹/
	Guiyang	/min²¹/ /moŋ²¹/ 新
	Kunming	/moŋ³¹/
	Nanjing	/mən²⁴/
	Hefei	/məŋ⁵⁵/
Jin	Taiyuan	/məŋ¹¹/
	Pingyao	/məŋ¹³/
	Hohhot	/mə̃ŋ³¹/
Wu	Shanghai	/mg²³/
	Suzhou	/mən¹³/
	Hangzhou	/men²¹³/
	Wenzhou	/miɛ³¹/
Hui	Shexian	/mʌ̃⁴⁴/
	Tunxi	/man⁴⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/moŋ¹³/
	Xiangtan	/min¹²/
Gan	Nanchang
Hakka	Meixian	/men¹¹/
	Taoyuan	/men¹¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/mɐŋ²¹/
	Nanning	/meŋ²¹/
	Hong Kong	/mɐŋ²¹/
Min	Xiamen (Hokkien)	/biŋ³⁵/
	Fuzhou (Eastern Min)	/mɛiŋ⁵³/
	Jian'ou (Northern Min)	/meiŋ²¹/
	Shantou (Teochew)	/meŋ⁵⁵/
	Haikou (Hainanese)	/moŋ³¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: meang

Rime
Character	萌
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	耕 (117)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	II
Fanqie	莫耕切
Baxter	meang
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mˠɛŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/mᵚæŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/mɐŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/məɨjŋ/
Li Rong	/mɛŋ/
Wang Li	/mæŋ/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mæŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	méng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mang4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*mreːŋ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	萌
Reading #	1/1
No.	9191
Phonetic component	明
Rime group	耕
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	甍
Old Chinese	/*mreːŋ/

Definitions

萌

1. to bud; to sprout; to germinate

   • 竹之始生，一寸之萌耳，而節葉具焉。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     竹之始生，一寸之萌耳，而节叶具焉。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: 1079, Su Shi,《文與可畫篔簹谷偃竹記》, translated by Cyril Drummond Le Gros Clark

     Zhú zhī shǐ shēng, yīcùn zhī méng ěr, ér jié yè jù yān. [Pinyin]

     When the bamboo begins to grow, the inch-long shoot already has joints and leaves.

2. to begin; to start
3. beginning; start; harbinger; omen; augury; portent
4. to happen; to occur; to take place
5. (ACG) moe: feelings of affection towards a fictional character
6. (Internet slang, by extension) cute; adorable

   賣萌／卖萌  ―  màiméng  ―  to act cutely

7. a surname, Meng

Synonyms

• (to bud):

edit

• 出息 (Hakka)
• 出穎 / 出颖 (Xiamen Hokkien)
• 出芽 (chūyá)
• 出苗 (chūmiáo)
• 出青 (Hokkien)
• 必目 (Hakka)
• 必筍 / 必笋 (Hakka)
• 抽筍 / 抽笋 (Hakka)
• 抽芽 (chōuyá)
• 暴穎 / 暴颖 (Xiamen Hokkien, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 暴筍 / 暴笋 (Hakka)
• 暴芽 (Hokkien)
• 權輿 / 权舆 (quányú) (literary)
• 爆穎 / 爆颖 (pok-íⁿ) (Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 爆芽 (bau⁴ nga⁴) (Gan, Zhangzhou Hokkien)
• 生筍 / 生笋 (Hakka)
• 生芽 (Hakka)
• 發穎 / 发颖 (Taiwanese Hokkien)
• 發芽 / 发芽 (fāyá)
• 綻筍 / 绽笋 (Hakka)
• 萌動 / 萌动 (méngdòng)
• 萌發 / 萌发 (méngfā)
• 萌芽 (méngyá)
• 露苗 (lòumiáo)

• (to begin):

edit

• 伊始 (yīshǐ) (literary)
• 權輿 / 权舆 (quányú) (literary)
• 發端 / 发端 (fāduān)
• 發軔 / 发轫 (fārèn) (literary)
• 肇始 (zhàoshǐ) (literary)
• 肇端 (zhàoduān) (literary)
• 起始 (qǐshǐ)
• 起手 (Cantonese, Eastern Min)
• 起頭 / 起头 (qǐtóu)
• 開始 / 开始 (kāishǐ)
• 開首 / 开首 (kāishǒu) (Beijing Mandarin)

• (beginning):

edit

• 伊始 (yīshǐ) (literary)
• 序幕 (xùmù) (figurative)
• 發端 / 发端 (fāduān)
• 肇端 (zhàoduān) (literary)
• 起始 (qǐshǐ)
• 起頭 / 起头 (qǐtóu)
• 起頭先 / 起头先 (kī-tàu-sĕng) (Eastern Min)
• 開始 / 开始 (kāishǐ)
• 開端 / 开端 (kāiduān)
• 開頭 / 开头 (kāitóu)
• 首端 (shǒuduān)

• (harbinger):

edit

• 先兆 (xiānzhào)
• 兆頭 / 兆头 (zhàotou)
• 前兆 (qiánzhào)
• 彩頭 / 彩头 (Hokkien, Teochew)
• 徵候 / 征候 (zhēnghòu)
• 徵兆 / 征兆 (zhēngzhào)
• 徵象 / 征象 (zhēngxiàng)
• 朕兆 (zhènzhào) (literary)
• 節嵌 / 节嵌 (Loudi Xiang)
• 衣食 (ĭ-sĭk) (Eastern Min)
• 預兆 / 预兆 (yùzhào)

• (people):

edit

• 一般人 (yībānrén)
• 世人 (shìrén)
• 世間人 / 世间人 (Hokkien)
• 人士 (rénshì) (literary)
• 人民 (rénmín)
• 人群 (rénqún)
• 人萌 (rénméng) (literary)
• 俗人 (súrén)
• 俗子 (súzǐ) (literary)
• 𫣆人 (Hakka)
• 兆民 (zhàomín) (archaic)
• 公眾 / 公众 (gōngzhòng)
• 凡人 (fánrén)
• 凡夫 (fánfū) (literary)
• 匹夫 (pǐfū) (literary)
• 四眾人 / 四众人 (si³ zing³ nang⁵) (Teochew)
• 士人 (shìrén) (archaic)
• 大眾 / 大众 (dàzhòng)
• 子民 (zǐmín) (historical)
• 家人 (jiārén) (archaic)
• 布衣 (bùyī) (historical)
• 常人 (chángrén)
• 平人 (píngrén) (literary)
• 平常人 (píngchángrén)
• 平民 (píngmín)
• 庶人 (shùrén) (literary)
• 庶民 (shùmín) (literary)
• 斯人 (sīrén) (Classical Chinese)
• 普通人 (pǔtōngrén)
• 民人 (mínrén) (literary)
• 民眾 / 民众 (mínzhòng)
• 烝民 (zhēngmín) (literary)
• 烝黎 (zhēnglí) (Classical Chinese)
• 白衣 (báiyī) (historical)
• 白衣人 (báiyīrén) (historical)
• 白身 (báishēn) (archaic)
• 白身人 (báishēnrén) (archaic)
• 百姓
• 眾人 / 众人 (zhòngrén) (literary)
• 萬姓 / 万姓 (wànxìng) (archaic)
• 群眾 / 群众 (qúnzhòng)
• 老百姓 (lǎobǎixìng)
• 良人 (liángrén) (literary)
• 草民 (cǎomín) (the worthless ordinary people)
• 草菅 (cǎojiān) (Classical Chinese, figurative)
• 草野 (cǎoyě) (literary, figurative)
• 野人 (yěrén) (archaic)
• 黎庶 (líshù) (literary)
• 黎民 (límín) (literary)
• 黎首 (líshǒu) (archaic)
• 黔首 (qiánshǒu) (archaic)
• 黔黎 (archaic)

• (to happen): 發生／发生 (fāshēng)
• (ignorant): 無知／无知 (wúzhī)

Compounds

• 亂萌 / 乱萌
• 人萌 (rénméng)
• 兆萌
• 六萌車 / 六萌车
• 勾萌
• 區萌 / 区萌
• 句萌
• 姦萌 / 奸萌
• 字萌
• 孚萌
• 孳萌
• 寡萌
• 庶萌
• 故態復萌 / 故态复萌 (gùtàifùméng)
• 未萌
• 杜漸防萌 / 杜渐防萌
• 杞萌
• 根萌
• 梨萌
• 民萌
• 氓萌
• 浮萌
• 滋萌
• 燼萌 / 烬萌
• 眾萌 / 众萌
• 竹萌
• 箭萌
• 群萌 (qúnméng)
• 舊念復萌 / 旧念复萌
• 舊態復萌 / 旧态复萌
• 良萌
• 萌人
• 萌俗
• 萌兆 (méngzhào)
• 萌兒 / 萌儿
• 萌動 / 萌动 (méngdòng)
• 萌孽
• 萌庶
• 萌櫱 / 萌蘖
• 萌毓
• 萌牙 (méngyá)
• 萌生 (méngshēng)
• 萌甲
• 萌發 / 萌发 (méngfā)
• 萌芽 (méngyá)
• 萌茁
• 萌象
• 萌起
• 萌通
• 萌達 / 萌达
• 萌陽 / 萌阳
• 萌隸 / 萌隶
• 萌黎
• 葭萌
• 蒼萌 / 苍萌
• 見微知萌 / 见微知萌
• 貧萌 / 贫萌
• 賓萌 / 宾萌
• 賣萌 / 卖萌 (màiméng)
• 逆萌 (nìméng)
• 遏漸防萌 / 遏渐防萌
• 遺萌 / 遗萌
• 邊萌 / 边萌
• 邪萌
• 開萌 / 开萌 (kāiméng)
• 防患未萌
• 防芽遏萌
• 防萌
• 防萌杜漸 / 防萌杜渐
• 餘萌 / 余萌
• 黎萌

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): míng (ming²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): ming⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: míng
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: míng
    • Wade–Giles: ming²
    • Yale: míng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ming
    • Palladius: мин (min)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: ming⁴
    • Yale: mìhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ming⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: ming⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɪŋ²¹/

---

Definitions

萌

1. Used in 蕨萌 (“a grass name”).

Etymology 3

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): méng (meng²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄥˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): mang⁴

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: méng
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄥˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: méng
    • Wade–Giles: mêng²
    • Yale: méng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: meng
    • Palladius: мэн (mɛn)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɤŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: mang⁴
    • Yale: màhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: mang⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: meng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐŋ²¹/

---

Definitions

萌

1. (obsolete) Alternative form of 氓 (“farmer; wanderer”)

References

• “萌”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
• 莆田市荔城区档案馆 [Putian City Licheng District Archives], editor (2022), “萌”, in 莆仙方言文读字汇 [Puxian Dialect Literary Reading Dictionary] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), page 154.
• zi.tools

Japanese

Kanji

萌

(Jinmeiyō kanji)

1. bud, sprout

Readings

• Go-on: みょう (myō)^{←みやう (myau, historical)}
• Kan-on: もう (mō)^{←まう (mau, historical)}
• Kan’yō-on: ほう (hō)^{←はう (fau, historical)}、ぼう (bō)^{←ばう (bau, historical)}
• Kun: きざし (kizashi, 萌し)、きざす (kizasu, 萌す)、めばえ (mebae, 萌え)、めぐむ (megumu, 萌む)、もえ (moe, 萌)、もえる (moeru, 萌える)、もやし (moyashi, 萌やし)、たみ (tami, 萌)
• Nanori: ほの (hono)、めぐみ (megumi)、めみ (memi)

Compounds

• 萌芽(ほうが) (hōga)
• 萌蘖(ほうげつ) (hōgetsu)
• 萌出(ほうしゅつ) (hōshutsu)
• 萌生(ほうせい) (hōsei)
• 萌動(ほうどう) (hōdō)
• 萌発(ほうはつ) (hōhatsu)
• 萌葱(もえぎ), 萌(もえ)黄(ぎ) (moegi)
• 萌葱(もよぎ), 萌(もよ)黄(ぎ) (moyogi)
• 留萌(るもい) (Rumoi)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
萌
きざし Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
萠

For pronunciation and definitions of 萌 – see the following entry.

【兆きざし】 [noun] sign, omen Alternative spellings 萌し, 萠し, 萠

(This term, 萌, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 2

Proper noun

萌(きざし) • (Kizashi) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
萌
もえ Jinmeiyō
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
萠

Nominalization of 萌え (moe), the 連(れん)用(よう)形(けい) (ren'yōkei, “stem or continuative form”) of the verb 萌(も)える (moeru, “to bud, sprout”).

Proper noun

萌(もえ) • (Moe) 

1. a female given name

References

• “萌”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[2] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

Korean

Hanja

萌 • (maeng) (hangeul 맹, revised maeng, McCune–Reischauer maeng, Yale mayng)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

萌: Hán Nôm readings: manh, mánh, mảnh, mành

1. đáng yêu, dễ thương