名 (míng) is a Chinese character meaning “name”. It is written from 夕 (evening) and 口 (mouth), one above the other, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “name”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
夕 + 口
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: 说文解字：名，自命也。从口从夕。夕者，冥也，冥不相見，故以口自名
Memory aid
Evening (夕) falls and nobody can see your face, so you open your mouth (口) and say who you are — your name.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 名字míng ziname名 = míngHSK 1
- 有名yǒu míngfamous; well-known名 = míng
- 名伶míng línga famous opera performer名 = míng
- 名词míng cínoun名 = míng
- 知名zhī míngwell-known; famous名 = míng
- 美其名曰měi qí míng yuēto give it the fine-sounding name of; to call it, euphemistically名 = míng
- 驰名chí míngwell-known; famous far and wide名 = míng
- 匿名nì mínganonymous名 = míng
- 名称míng chēngname (of a thing or organization)名 = míng
- 姓名xìng míngfull name (surname + given name)名 = míng
- 沽名钓誉gū míng diào yùto fish for fame and compliments名 = míng
- 莫名其妙mò míng qí miàobaffling; inexplicable; for no apparent reason名 = míng
- 著名zhù míngfamous; well-known名 = míng
- 闻名wén míngwell-known; famous名 = míng
Go deeper
All readings
name
name; given name; fame, reputation; measure word for people
人或事物的称呼；名声、名誉；也作量词，用于人。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 名字míng ziname名 = míngHSK 1
- 有名yǒu míngfamous; well-known名 = míng
- 名伶míng línga famous opera performer名 = míng
- 名词míng cínoun名 = míng
- 知名zhī míngwell-known; famous名 = míng
- 美其名曰měi qí míng yuēto give it the fine-sounding name of; to call it, euphemistically名 = míng
- 驰名chí míngwell-known; famous far and wide名 = míng
- 匿名nì mínganonymous名 = míng
- 名称míng chēngname (of a thing or organization)名 = míng
- 姓名xìng míngfull name (surname + given name)名 = míng
- 沽名钓誉gū míng diào yùto fish for fame and compliments名 = míng
- 莫名其妙mò míng qí miàobaffling; inexplicable; for no apparent reason名 = míng
- 著名zhù míngfamous; well-known名 = míng
- 闻名wén míngwell-known; famous名 = míng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 名 mean?
名 (míng) means name; given name; fame, reputation; measure word for people.
How do you pronounce 名?
It is pronounced míng.
What parts is 名 made of?
夕 (evening) and 口 (mouth), one above the other. The recorded source is: 说文解字：名，自命也。从口从夕。夕者，冥也，冥不相見，故以口自名. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 名 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 名?
口. 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 名?
Common ones are 名字 and 有名. The reading of 名 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.