铭 (míng) is a Chinese character meaning “an inscription (on metal or stone)”. It is written from 钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 名 (name; fame), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “inscription; to engrave”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
钅 + 名
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文新附「銘，記也。从金名聲」；现代字形拆分对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 名 6 画 = 11 画
Memory aid
Metal (钅) with a name (名) cut into it: words engraved in bronze so they are never forgotten.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 铭记míng jìto engrave on one's mind; to remember always铭 = míng
- 座右铭zuò yòu míngmotto; maxim one lives by铭 = míng
Go deeper
All readings
inscription; to engrave
an inscription (on metal or stone); a motto; to engrave; to remember deeply
刻在器物或碑石上的文字，也指警诫自己的格言；引申为铭刻、牢记。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 铭记míng jìto engrave on one's mind; to remember always铭 = míng
- 座右铭zuò yòu míngmotto; maxim one lives by铭 = míng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 铭 mean?
铭 (míng) means an inscription (on metal or stone); a motto; to engrave; to remember deeply.
How do you pronounce 铭?
It is pronounced míng.
What parts is 铭 made of?
钅 (metal radical (left-side form of 金)) and 名 (name; fame), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文新附「銘，記也。从金名聲」；现代字形拆分对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：钅 5 画 + 名 6 画 = 11 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 铭 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 铭?
金. 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 铭?
Common ones are 铭记 and 座右铭. The reading of 铭 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.