鸣 (míng) is a Chinese character meaning “(of birds, animals or insects) to cry or call”. It is written from 口 (mouth) and 鸟 (bird), side by side, and takes 8 strokes.
Build the character for “to cry (of a bird)”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
口 + 鸟
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字·鸟部：鳴，鳥聲也。从鳥从口
Memory aid
A mouth (口) opened right next to a bird (鸟). Both parts are really in this character — put them together and you hear the bird call out.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
8 strokes
In real words
- 鸟鸣niǎo míngbirdsong; the calling of birds鸣 = míng
- 共鸣gòng míngresonance; sympathetic response鸣 = míng
Go deeper
All readings
to cry (of a bird)
(of birds, animals or insects) to cry or call; to make a sound; to voice or express something
鸟兽或昆虫叫；泛指发出声音；也指表达（意见、情感）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 鸟鸣niǎo míngbirdsong; the calling of birds鸣 = míng
- 共鸣gòng míngresonance; sympathetic response鸣 = míng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 鸣 mean?
鸣 (míng) means (of birds, animals or insects) to cry or call; to make a sound; to voice or express something.
How do you pronounce 鸣?
It is pronounced míng.
What parts is 鸣 made of?
口 (mouth) and 鸟 (bird), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字·鸟部：鳴，鳥聲也。从鳥从口. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 鸣 have?
8. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 鸣?
鸟. 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 鸣?
Common ones are 鸟鸣 and 共鸣. The reading of 鸣 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.