聪明 (cōngming) · clever

聪明 (cōngming) means “clever; smart”. It is written with 2 characters: 聪 (sharp (of sight and hearing)) + 明 (bright). It is an HSK 3 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).

How 聪明 is built

The characters

聪 cōng · sharp (of sight and hearing)

What 聪 is made of

耳ěr — ear
- 二 — two strokes
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
总zǒng — to gather
- 丷ha — kwukyel
  - 丶 — dot
- 口kǒu — mouth
  - 冂 — frame
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 心xīn — heart

明 míng · bright

What 明 is made of

日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
  - 冂 — frame
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
月yuè — moon; month
- 冂 — frame
  - 丨 — vertical stroke
- 二 — two strokes
  - 一 — horizontal stroke
  - 一 — horizontal stroke

Origin hint: The light of the sun 日 and moon 月 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)

Example sentences

这个孩子很聪明。Zhège háizi hěn cōngming.This child is very clever.

你真聪明！Nǐ zhēn cōngming!You're so smart!

Questions about 聪明

What does 聪明 mean?

聪明 (cōngming) means “clever; smart”.

How do you pronounce 聪明?

聪明 is pronounced cōngming.

Which HSK level is 聪明?

聪明 is in HSK 3 (exam 2025) and Old HSK 3.

Related words

Learn 聪明 with its group

It is part of Old HSK 3 · Group 5: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.

Open the group