孟 (mèng) - eldest among siblings & first in a series

孟Tone 4

mèng ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 子

伦妙

孟 · mèng

eldest among siblings;

first in a series;

beginning;

a Chinese surname;

also refers to Mencius (Mengzi).

eldest among siblingsfirst in a seriesbeginning

Usage highlights

Menciuseldest brotherfirst month of a seasonMeng surnameMeng familyMeng clan

Synonyms

  • 长— eldest, senior
  • 首— first, chief
  • 初— beginning, initial

Antonyms

  • 季— youngest among siblings
  • 末— last, final

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He is the eldest son (孟长子).
  • The first month of summer is called Mengxia (孟夏).
  • Mencius (孟子) was a great Confucian philosopher.
  • The Meng family (孟家) lives next door.

Collocations

  • Mencius(孟子)
  • eldest brother(孟兄)
  • first month of a season(孟春/孟夏/孟秋/孟冬)
  • Meng surname(孟姓)
  • Meng family(孟家)
  • Meng clan(孟氏)

Idioms

  • Liang Hong and Meng Guang(举案齐眉, referring to a respectful couple)
  • Mencius' mother moved three times(孟母三迁)
  • Mencius criticized King Hui of Liang(孟子见梁惠王)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used to denote the eldest child in a family, especially in aristocratic contexts.
  • Strong association with Mencius (孟子), one of the most influential Confucian philosophers.
  • A common Chinese surname, ranking around 70th in prevalence.

FAQ