# 明白
## Chinese
### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): míngbai, míngbái
       (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄥˊ ˙ㄅㄞ, ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄞˊ
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): минбый (minbɨy, I-II)
* Cantonese (Jyutping): ming$^4$ baak$^6$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): mìn-pha̍k
* Eastern Min (BUC): mìng-bĕk
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): bêng-pe̍k / bêng-pia̍k / bêng-pe̍h / mêng-pe̍k
    (Teochew, Peng'im): mêng$^5$ bêh$^8$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^6$min-baq
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland, variant in Taiwan)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: míngbai
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ ˙ㄅㄞ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: míngbåi
*** Wade–Giles: ming$^2$-pai$^5$
*** Yale: míng-bai
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ming.bai
*** Palladius: минбай (minbaj)
*** Sinological IPA : /miŋ³⁵ b̥aɪ̯³/
** (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: míngbái
*** Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄞˊ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: míngbái
*** Wade–Giles: ming$^2$-pai$^2$
*** Yale: míng-bái
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mingbair
*** Palladius: минбай (minbaj)
*** Sinological IPA : /miŋ³⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: минбый (minbɨy, I-II)
*** Sinological IPA : /miŋ²⁴ pei⁵¹/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: ming$^4$ baak$^6$
*** Yale: mìhng baahk
*** Cantonese Pinyin: ming$^4$ baak$^9$
*** Guangdong Romanization: ming$^4$ bag$^6$
*** Sinological IPA : /mɪŋ²¹ paːk̚²/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mìn-pha̍k
*** Hakka Romanization System: min$^ˇ$ pag
*** Hagfa Pinyim: min$^2$ pag$^6$
*** Sinological IPA: /min¹¹ pʰak̚⁵/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: mìng-bĕk
*** Sinological IPA : /miŋ⁵³⁻³³ $^{(p-)}$mɛiʔ⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng-pe̍k
*** Tâi-lô: bîng-pi̍k
*** Phofsit Daibuun: bengpek
*** IPA (Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ piɪk̚⁴/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³⁻³³ piɪk̚⁴/
*** IPA (Singapore): /beŋ²⁴⁻²¹ pek̚⁴³/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /biɪŋ¹³⁻²² piɪk̚¹²¹/
*** IPA (Xiamen): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² piɪk̚⁴/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng-pia̍k
*** Tâi-lô: bîng-pia̍k
*** Phofsit Daibuun: bengpiak
*** IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻²² piak̚²⁴/
** (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bêng-pe̍h
*** Tâi-lô: bîng-pe̍h
*** Phofsit Daibuun: bengpeh
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /biɪŋ²³⁻³³ peʔ⁴/
*** IPA (Taipei): /biɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ peʔ⁴/
** (Hokkien: Singapore)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: mêng-pe̍k
*** Tâi-lô: mîng-pi̍k
*** Phofsit Daibuun: mengpek
*** IPA (Singapore): /meŋ²⁴⁻²¹ pek̚⁴³/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: mêng$^5$ bêh$^8$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mêng pe̍h
*** Sinological IPA : /meŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ peʔ⁴/
* Wu
** (Northern: Shanghai)
*** Wugniu: $^6$min-baq
*** MiniDict: min$^去$ bah
*** Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): $^3$min-baq
*** Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /min²² baʔ⁴⁴/
* Middle Chinese: mjaeng baek
Rime :
| Character | 明 | 白 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 明 (4) | 並 (3) |
| Final (韻) | 庚 (111) | 陌 (113) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open | Open |
| Division (等) | III | II |
| Fanqie | 武兵切 | 傍陌切 |
| Baxter | mjaeng | baek |
| Reconstructions |||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /mˠiæŋ/ | /bˠæk̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /mᵚiaŋ/ | /bᵚak̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /miaŋ/ | /bak̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /miajŋ/ | /baɨjk̚/ |
| Li Rong | /miɐŋ/ | /bɐk̚/ |
| Wang Li | /mĭɐŋ/ | /bɐk̚/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /mi̯ɐŋ/ | /bʱɐk̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | míng | bó |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | ming$^4$ | bak$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*mraŋ bˤrak/
    (Zhengzhang): /*mraŋ braːɡ/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 明 | 白 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | míng | bái |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ mjæng › | ‹ bæk › |
| Old Chinese | /*mraŋ/ | /*bˁrak/ |
| English | bright | white |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. |||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 明 | 白 |
| Reading # | 1/1 | 1/1 |
| No. | 9188 | 207 |
| Phonetic component | 明 | 白 |
| Rime group | 陽 | 鐸 |
| Rime subdivision | 0 | 0 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 明 | 白 |
| Old Chinese | /*mraŋ/ | /*braːɡ/ |

### Verb

明白
* to understand; to know
       Děng nǐ zhǎngdà jiù míngbai le. [Pinyin]
       You'll understand when you grow up.
       Wǒ jiǎng de huà nǐ míngbai le ma? [Pinyin]
       Do you understand what I said?
       Nǐ zài xiǎng shénme, wǒ xīnli quán míngbai. [Pinyin]
       I know for sure what you are thinking.

#### Usage notes

When used as a verb, 明白 (míngbai) conveys an understanding of a meaning or a situation. To express an ability to understand a language, see 會說／会说 (huìshuō, “to be able to speak”), 聽懂／听懂 (tīngdǒng, “to understand by listening”) or 看懂 (kàndǒng, “to understand when reading”).

#### Synonyms

* 了解 (liǎojiě)
* 佔有 / 占有 (zhànyǒu)
* 分曉 / 分晓 (fēnxiǎo)
* 參悟 / 参悟 (cānwù)
* 悟 (wù) (literary, or in compounds)
* 懂 (dǒng)
* 懂得 (dǒngde)
* 打生 (Wenzhounese)
* 把握 (bǎwò)
* 掌握 (zhǎngwò)
* 明 (ming$^4$) (Cantonese)
* 明瞭 / 明了 (míngliǎo)
* 曉得 / 晓得 (xiǎode)
* 會悟 / 会悟 (huìwù) (literary)
* 洞悉 (dòngxī)
* 清亮 (mainland China)
* 清楚
* 熟似 (Hokkien)
* 熟悉 (shúxī)
* 熟稔 (shúrěn) (literary)
* 熟識 / 熟识 (shúshí)
* 理會 / 理会 (lǐhuì)
* 理解 (lǐjiě)
* 瞭悟 / 了悟 (liǎowù) (literary)
* 知影 (Hokkien, Teochew)
* 知悉 (zhīxī) (literary)
* 知曉 / 知晓 (zhīxiǎo)
* 知識 / 知识 (zhīshí) (literary)
* 知道 (zhīdào)
* 覺 / 觉
* 覺悟 / 觉悟 (juéwù)
* 覺醒 / 觉醒 (juéxǐng)
* 認識 / 认识
* 諳曉 / 谙晓 (ānxiǎo) (literary)
* 諳達 / 谙达 (āndá) (literary)
* 貫通 / 贯通 (guàntōng)
* 通曉 / 通晓 (tōngxiǎo)
* 通解 (tōngjiě) (literary)
* 通達 / 通达 (tōngdá)
* 達 / 达 (literary, or in compounds)
* 醒悟 (xǐngwù)
* 開悟 / 开悟 (kāiwù) (literary)
* 領悟 / 领悟 (lǐngwù)
* 領會 / 领会 (lǐnghuì)
* 領略 / 领略 (lǐnglüè)

### Adjective

明白
* clear; obvious; evident
* open; explicit; frank
* sensible; reasonable

#### Synonyms

* (clear):
* 分明 (fēnmíng)
* 分曉 / 分晓 (fēnxiǎo)
* 明瞭 / 明了 (míngliǎo)
* 明確 / 明确 (míngquè)
* 清晰 (qīngxī)
* 清朗 (qīnglǎng)
* 清楚
* 疏朗 (shūlǎng) (literary)
* 鮮明 / 鲜明 (xiānmíng)
* (explicit):
* 分明 (fēnmíng)
* 分曉 / 分晓 (fēnxiǎo)
* 明瞭 / 明了 (míngliǎo)
* 明確 / 明确 (míngquè)
* 清晰 (qīngxī)
* 清朗 (qīnglǎng)
* 清楚
* 疏朗 (shūlǎng) (literary)
* 鮮明 / 鲜明 (xiānmíng)
* (sensible): 通情達理／通情达理 (tōngqíngdálǐ)

### See also

* (not to be confused with) 明日 (míngrì)

### Derived terms

* 明白人 (míngbairén)

### Descendants

* → Japanese: 明白(めいはく) (meihaku)
* → Korean: 명백(明白) (myeongbaek)
* → Vietnamese: minh bạch (明白)
* → White Hmong: meejpem

## Japanese
### Etymology 1

Kanji in this term :
| 明 | 白 |
| めい Grade: 2 | はく Grade: 1 |
| on'yomi ||

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) めーはく [mèéhákú] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [me̞ːha̠kɯ̟]

#### Adjective

明(めい)白(はく) • (meihaku) -na (adnominal 明(めい)白(はく)な (meihaku na), adverbial 明(めい)白(はく)に (meihaku ni))
* clear, obvious, plain, undeniable
    明白(めいはく)な安(あん)保(ぽ)理(り)決(けつ)議(ぎ)違(い)反(はん)だ。
       Meihaku na anporiketsugīhan da.
       It is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions.

##### Inflection

Stem forms :
| Imperfective (未然形) | 明白だろ | めいはくだろ | meihaku daro |
| Continuative (連用形) | 明白で | めいはくで | meihaku de |
| Terminal (終止形) | 明白だ | めいはくだ | meihaku da |
| Attributive (連体形) | 明白な | めいはくな | meihaku na |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | 明白なら | めいはくなら | meihaku nara |
| Imperative (命令形) | 明白であれ | めいはくであれ | meihaku de are |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | 明白ではない 明白じゃない | めいはくではない めいはくじゃない | meihaku de wa nai meihaku ja nai |
| Informal past | 明白だった | めいはくだった | meihaku datta |
| Informal negative past | 明白ではなかった 明白じゃなかった | めいはくではなかった めいはくじゃなかった | meihaku de wa nakatta meihaku ja nakatta |
| Formal | 明白です | めいはくです | meihaku desu |
| Formal negative | 明白ではありません 明白じゃありません | めいはくではありません めいはくじゃありません | meihaku de wa arimasen meihaku ja arimasen |
| Formal past | 明白でした | めいはくでした | meihaku deshita |
| Formal negative past | 明白ではありませんでした 明白じゃありませんでした | めいはくではありませんでした めいはくじゃありませんでした | meihaku de wa arimasen deshita meihaku ja arimasen deshita |
| Conjunctive | 明白で | めいはくで | meihaku de |
| Conditional | 明白なら（ば） | めいはくなら（ば） | meihaku nara (ba) |
| Provisional | 明白だったら | めいはくだったら | meihaku dattara |
| Volitional | 明白だろう | めいはくだろう | meihaku darō |
| Adverbial | 明白に | めいはくに | meihaku ni |
| Degree | 明白さ | めいはくさ | meihakusa |

#### Noun

明(めい)白(はく) • (meihaku)
* obviousness, undeniability

### Etymology 2

Kanji in this term :
| 明 | 白 |
| あからさま ||
| Grade: 2 | Grade: 1 |
| jukujikun ||
For pronunciation and definitions of 明白 – see the following entry. :
| 【あからさま】 | [adjective] open; candid Alternative spelling 明白地 |
(This term, 明白, is an alternative spelling (literary) of the above term.) :

### References

* 2002, Ineko Kondō; Fumi Takano; Mary E Althaus; et. al., Shogakukan Progressive Japanese-English Dictionary, Third Edition, Tokyo: Shōgakukan, →ISBN.
* Kitahara, Yasuo, editor (2002), 明鏡国語辞典 [Meikyō Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Taishūkan Shoten, →ISBN
* ↑ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* ↑ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

## Korean

Hanja in this term :
| 明 | 白 |

### Root

明白 • (myeongbaek) (hangeul 명백)
* hanja form of 명백 (“explicit”)

## Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term :
| 明 | 白 |

### Adjective

明白
* chữ Hán form of minh bạch.