聰明

See also: 聪明 and 聡明

Chinese

		quick at hearing; wise; clever quick at hearing; wise; clever; sharp-witted; intelligent; acute	clear; bright; to understand clear; bright; to understand; next; the Ming dynasty
trad. (聰明)		聰	明
simp. (聪明)		聪	明

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): cōngmíng

  (Zhuyin): ㄘㄨㄥ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): цунмин (cunmin, I-I)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cung¹ ming⁴
• Gan (Wiktionary): cung¹ min
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): chhûng-mìn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): cung¹ min²

• Eastern Min (BUC): chŭng-mìng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): chhong-bêng / chhang-miâ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): cong¹ mêng⁵

• Wu (Wugniu)
  • (Northern): ¹tshon-min

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: cōngmíng → cōngming (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄘㄨㄥ ㄇㄧㄥˊ → ㄘㄨㄥ ˙ㄇㄧㄥ (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Tongyong Pinyin: congmi̊ng
    • Wade–Giles: tsʻung¹-ming⁵
    • Yale: tsūng-ming
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: tsong.ming
    • Palladius: цунмин (cunmin)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ miŋ³⁵/ → /t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ miŋ²/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: цунмин (cunmin, I-I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuŋ²⁴ miŋ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cung¹ ming⁴
    • Yale: chūng mìhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsung¹ ming⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: cung¹ ming⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ mɪŋ²¹/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: cung¹ min
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuŋ⁴² min²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhûng-mìn
    • Hakka Romanization System: cung´ minˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: cung¹ min²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰuŋ²⁴ min¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: cung¹ min²
    • Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰʊŋ⁴⁴⁻³⁵ min¹¹/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: chŭng-mìng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰuŋ⁵⁵ miŋ⁵³/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhong-bêng
    • Tâi-lô: tshong-bîng
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhongbeeng
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sʰɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² biɪŋ¹³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰɔŋ³³ biɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sʰɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² biɪŋ²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ biɪŋ²³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ biɪŋ²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhang-miâ
    • Tâi-lô: tshang-miâ
    • Phofsit Daibuun: zhangmiaa
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /t͡sʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻²² miã¹³/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰaŋ³³ miã²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ miã²³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ miã²⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen): /t͡sʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻²² miã²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: cong¹ mêng⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tshong mêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰoŋ³³⁻²³ meŋ⁵⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ¹tshon-min
    • MiniDict: tshon^平 min
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹tshon-min
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /t͡sʰoŋ⁵⁵ min²¹/

Adjective

聰明

1. clever; intelligent; smart; bright

   他生得很聰明。／他生得很聪明。  ―  Tā shēng de hěn cōngmíng.  ―  He is very smart.

   • 一個雀　雀飛上坡　一個雀　雀飛下坡　三歲孩兒會唱歌　不是爹娘告訴我　是我自己聰明多 [MSC, trad.]
     一个雀　雀飞上坡　一个雀　雀飞下坡　三岁孩儿会唱歌　不是爹娘告诉我　是我自己聪明多 [MSC, simp.]

     From: 1921, James Hutson, Chinese Life in the Tibetan Foothills/Riddles and Ditties

     yī ge què, què fēi shàng pō, yī ge què, què fēi xià pō, sān suì hái'ér huì chànggē, bùshì diēniáng gàosù wǒ, shì wǒ zìjǐ cōngmíng duō [Pinyin]

     One little birdie flies up the hill, another little birdie flies down the hill; a three-year old child is able to sing, not what the parents teach it, but what natural wisdom prompts.

   • 你聰明的，告訴我，我們的日子為什麼一去不復返呢？ [MSC, trad.]
     你聪明的，告诉我，我们的日子为什么一去不复返呢？ [MSC, simp.]

     From: 朱自清《匆匆》

     Nǐ cōngmíng de, gàosu wǒ, wǒmen de rìzi wèishénme yī qù bù fùfǎn ne? [Pinyin]

     You the wise, tell me, why should our days leave us, never to return?

2. (archaic, of hearing and vision) sharp; keen; perceptive

Synonyms

• 乖巧 (guāiqiǎo)
• 了了 (liǎoliǎo) (literary)
• 伶俐 (línglì)
• 奢遮 (Wu, of a child)
• 宿鬼 (Hokkien)
• 性靈／性灵 (xìnglíng) (literary)
• 敏慧 (mǐnhuì)
• 明慧 (mínghuì)
• 明智 (míngzhì)
• 機敏／机敏 (jīmǐn)
• 機智／机智 (jīzhì)
• 機穎／机颖 (literary)
• 機警／机警 (jījǐng)
• 機靈／机灵
• 活絡／活络 (Wu)
• 睿智 (ruìzhì)
• 穎異／颖异 (yǐngyì) (formal)
• 精濟／精济 (Hokkien, of a child)
• 精靈／精灵 (jīnglíng)
• 精齊／精齐 (Hokkien, of a child)
• 聰慧／聪慧 (cōnghuì)
• 聰敏／聪敏 (cōngmǐn)
• 聰穎／聪颖 (cōngyǐng) (formal)
• 英明 (yīngmíng)
• 調皮／调皮 (tiáopí)
• 靈／灵 (líng)
• 靈光／灵光 (⁶lin-kuaon) (Wu)
• 鬼 (guǐ) (informal)

 

Dialectal synonyms of 聰明 (“clever; intelligent; smart; bright”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		聰明, 伶俐, 聰敏, 聰穎
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		聰明, 機靈, 伶俐, 聰敏, 聰穎, 聰慧
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	聰明
	Taiwan	聰明
	Malaysia	聰明
	Singapore	聰明
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	聰明
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	靈, 靈醒
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	精靈, 聰明
	Wuhan	聰明
	Guilin	聰明
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	聰明
	Hefei	聰明
Cantonese	Guangzhou	聰明, 醒, 醒目, 叻, 精
	Hong Kong	聰明, 醒, 醒目, 叻, 精
	Taishan	聰明, 叻, 參
	Kaiping (Chikan)	叻
	Yangjiang	伶俐, 叻
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	精, 扮𠮨
	Singapore (Guangfu)	聰明, 精, 叻, 醒目, 扮𠮨
Gan	Nanchang	精靈, 聰明
Hakka	Meixian	聰明, 機靈
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	聰明
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	聰明
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	聰明
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	聰明, 精
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	聰明, 精
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	聰明
	Kuching (Hepo)	將
Jin	Taiyuan	機靈, 聰明
Northern Min	Jian'ou	聰明
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	聰明
Southern Min	Xiamen	聰明
	Quanzhou	聰明, 骨, 骨鳥 derogatory
	Zhangzhou	聰明
	Taipei	聰明, 巧, 明白
	Singapore (Hokkien)	聰明, 𠢕, 勥, 醒目, 巧
	Manila (Hokkien)	巧, 勥, 𠢕
	Chaozhou	聰明
	Singapore (Teochew)	聰明
	Wenchang	精
	Singapore (Hainanese)	精
Wu	Suzhou	聰明
	Ningbo	聰明
	Wenzhou	靈, 聰明
Xiang	Changsha	靈泛, 聰明
	Shuangfeng	聰明

Antonyms

• 棒槌 (bàngchuí)
• 笨拙 (bènzhuō)
• 鳩拙／鸠拙 (jiūzhuó)
• 拙笨 (zhuōbèn)
• 愚笨 (yúbèn)
• 愚蠢 (yúchǔn)
• 愚昧 (yúmèi)

Derived terms

• 冰雪聰明／冰雪聪明 (bīngxuěcōngmíng)
• 小聰明／小聪明 (xiǎocōngmíng)
• 絕頂聰明／绝顶聪明
• 耳目聰明／耳目聪明
• 聰明一世，懵懂一時／聪明一世，懵懂一时 (cōngmíng yīshì, měngdǒng yīshí)
• 聰明一世，糊塗一時／聪明一世，糊涂一时 (cōngmíng yīshì, hútú yīshí)
• 聰明乖覺／聪明乖觉
• 聰明人／聪明人 (cōngmíngrén)
• 聰明伶俐／聪明伶俐 (cōngmínglínglì)
• 聰明反被聰明誤／聪明反被聪明误 (cōngmíng fǎn bèi cōngmíng wù)
• 聰明才智／聪明才智 (cōngmíngcáizhì)
• 聰明絕頂／聪明绝顶 (cōngmíngjuédǐng)
• 自作聰明／自作聪明 (zìzuòcōngmíng)
• 鬼聰明／鬼聪明

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (聰明):

• → Japanese: 聡(そう)明(めい) (sōmei)
• → Korean: 총명(聰明) (chongmyeong)
• → Vietnamese: thông minh (聰明)

Japanese

Kanji in this term
聰	明
そう Hyōgaiji	めい Grade: 2
on’yomi

Etymology 1

Adjective

聰(そう)明(めい) • (sōmei) -na (adnominal 聰(そう)明(めい)な (sōmei na), adverbial 聰(そう)明(めい)に (sōmei ni))

1. wise

Inflection

Inflection of 聰明

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	聰明だろ	そうめいだろ	sōmei daro
Continuative (連用形)	聰明で	そうめいで	sōmei de
Terminal (終止形)	聰明だ	そうめいだ	sōmei da
Attributive (連体形)	聰明な	そうめいな	sōmei na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	聰明なら	そうめいなら	sōmei nara
Imperative (命令形)	聰明であれ	そうめいであれ	sōmei de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	聰明ではない 聰明じゃない	そうめいではない そうめいじゃない	sōmei de wa nai sōmei ja nai
Informal past	聰明だった	そうめいだった	sōmei datta
Informal negative past	聰明ではなかった 聰明じゃなかった	そうめいではなかった そうめいじゃなかった	sōmei de wa nakatta sōmei ja nakatta
Formal	聰明です	そうめいです	sōmei desu
Formal negative	聰明ではありません 聰明じゃありません	そうめいではありません そうめいじゃありません	sōmei de wa arimasen sōmei ja arimasen
Formal past	聰明でした	そうめいでした	sōmei deshita
Formal negative past	聰明ではありませんでした 聰明じゃありませんでした	そうめいではありませんでした そうめいじゃありませんでした	sōmei de wa arimasen deshita sōmei ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	聰明で	そうめいで	sōmei de
Conditional	聰明なら（ば）	そうめいなら（ば）	sōmei nara (ba)
Provisional	聰明だったら	そうめいだったら	sōmei dattara
Volitional	聰明だろう	そうめいだろう	sōmei darō
Adverbial	聰明に	そうめいに	sōmei ni
Degree	聰明さ	そうめいさ	sōmeisa

Noun

聰(そう)明(めい) • (sōmei) 

1. intelligence

Proper noun

聰(そう)明(めい) • (Sōmei) 

1. a male given name

Etymology 2

Proper noun

聰明(としあき) • (Toshiaki) 

1. a male given name

Korean

Hanja in this term
聰	明

Noun

聰明 • (chongmyeong) (hangeul 총명)

1. Hanja form^? of 총명 (“intelligence”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
聰	明

Adjective

聰明

1. chữ Hán form of thông minh (“clever, intelligent, smart”).