冥 (míng) is a Chinese character meaning “dark”. It is written from 冖 (cover) and 日 (sun; day) and 六 (six), and takes 10 strokes.
Build the character for “dark; deep”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
冖 + 日 + 六
Top–middle–bottom structure
Structure from: IDS ⿳冖日六 (现代字形拆分)，与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画 0–1 / 2–5 / 6–9 即 2+4+4=10 核验一致。仅描述现代字形，各部件的来源与造字理据未确认
Memory aid
Throw a cover (冖) over the sun (日), then count to six (六) in the dark: everything grows dim and deep — the mood of 冥想 (meditation).
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
10 strokes
In real words
- 冥想míng xiǎngmeditation; to meditate冥 = míng
- 冥王星Míng wáng xīngPluto (dwarf planet)冥 = míng
Go deeper
All readings
dark; deep; the underworld
dark; obscure; deep and profound; relating to the underworld
昏暗；深远，深沉；也指人死后的世界。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 冥想míng xiǎngmeditation; to meditate冥 = míng
- 冥王星Míng wáng xīngPluto (dwarf planet)冥 = míng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 冥 mean?
冥 (míng) means dark; obscure; deep and profound; relating to the underworld.
How do you pronounce 冥?
It is pronounced míng.
What parts is 冥 made of?
冖 (cover) and 日 (sun; day) and 六 (six). The recorded source is: IDS ⿳冖日六 (现代字形拆分)，与 hanzi-writer-data 笔画 0–1 / 2–5 / 6–9 即 2+4+4=10 核验一致。仅描述现代字形，各部件的来源与造字理据未确认. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 冥 have?
10. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 冥?
冖. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 冥?
Common ones are 冥想 and 冥王星. The reading of 冥 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.