冥 (míng) - dark & deep

冥Tone 2

míng ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

妙慕

冥 · míng

dark;

deep;

profound;

obscure;

the underworld;

the netherworld;

the realm of the dead.

darkdeepprofound

Usage highlights

netherworlddeep thoughtdark and obscureunderworldprofound thoughtfate determined by heavens

Synonyms

  • 暗— dark
  • 幽— deep; secluded
  • 玄— profound; mysterious

Antonyms

  • 明— bright; clear
  • 阳— yang; the living world (as opposed to the netherworld)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The room was pitch dark (冥暗).
  • He was deep in thought (冥思).
  • They believe in an underworld (冥界).
  • It was a profound mystery (冥秘).

Collocations

  • netherworld(冥府)
  • deep thought(冥思)
  • dark and obscure(冥暗)
  • underworld(冥界)
  • profound thought(冥想)
  • fate determined by heavens(冥命)

Idioms

  • Searching painstakingly(冥思苦想)
  • Preordained fate(冥冥之中)
  • Ignorant and dull(冥顽不灵)
  • Dark and boundless(冥漠之界)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese belief, '冥' refers to the afterlife or the underworld, where spirits reside after death.
  • Associated with concepts of fate and destiny, as in '冥冥之中' implying a preordained outcome controlled by unseen forces.
  • Used in Daoist and Buddhist contexts to denote deep states of meditation or profound understanding beyond ordinary perception.

FAQ