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聪 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
聪cōngquick at hearingHSK 2, a, 15 strokes, radical 耳, rank #10902, Hard
聪cōngwiseHSK 2, a, 15 strokes, radical 耳, rank #10902, Hard
聪cōngcleverHSK 2, a, 15 strokes, radical 耳, rank #10902, Hard
聪cōngsharp-wittedHSK 2, a, 15 strokes, radical 耳, rank #10902, Hard
聪cōngintelligentHSK 2, a, 15 strokes, radical 耳, rank #10902, Hard
聪cōngacuteHSK 2, a, 15 strokes, radical 耳, rank #10902, Hard
聪cōngsharp (of sight and hearing); intelligent, clever, brightHSK 2, a, 15 strokes, radical 耳, rank #10902, Hard
cōng(cong1) T1
  1. 1quick at hearing
  2. 2wise
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
聪(聰)cōng(cong1)

The character 聪 (cōng) conveys the meaning of being quick-witted, intelligent, and sharp in perception, particularly in hearing. It is commonly used to describe someone who is clever or astute in understanding and responding to situations, often highlighting their mental acuity. In everyday contexts, it can be used to compliment someone's intelligence or perceptiveness.

Strokes15Radical耳Frequency#10902DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, being 聪明 (cōngmíng) is highly valued, especially in educational settings. Parents often aspire for their children to be 聪明, associating intelligence with success and respect in society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise owl perched on a tree, its big ears listening intently to the sounds of the forest. The character 聪 has the radical for 'ear' (耳) on the left, emphasizing the connection to sharp hearing and intelligence, while the right part (聪) sounds like 'cōng,' reminding you of the cleverness of the owl.

Meanings of 聪

cōng(cong1)
1quick at hearing
2wise
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 聪

聪Simplified
聰Traditional
15Strokes
耳Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#10902Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L2

Podcast: 聪

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Podcast: 聪

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AI Study Notes for 聪

Quick Contrast

聪 (cōng) vs 明 (míng) — use 聪 for sharpness in perception or intelligence, while 明 emphasizes clarity or brightness.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a wise owl perched on a tree, its big ears listening intently to the sounds of the forest. The character 聪 has the radical for 'ear' (耳) on the left, emphasizing the connection to sharp hearing and intelligence, while the right part (聪) sounds like 'cōng,' reminding you of the cleverness of the owl.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 聪 (cōng) with similar-sounding words, as tone is essential in Mandarin. It is typically used in both formal and informal contexts, but often appears in more literary or complimentary phrases. Common collocations include 聪明 (cōngmíng - clever) and 聪慧 (cōnghuì - wise).

HSK Study Tips

Although 聪 is not listed in the official HSK levels, it is related to other HSK vocabulary like 聪明 and 明 (míng - bright). Focus on recognizing its components and practicing its pronunciation to avoid confusion with similar characters.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, being 聪明 (cōngmíng) is highly valued, especially in educational settings. Parents often aspire for their children to be 聪明, associating intelligence with success and respect in society.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 聪 (cōng) with 聪明 (cōngmíng) as a standalone term. Remember that 聪 can describe sharpness in hearing or intelligence on its own, while 聪明 is specifically about cleverness. An incorrect usage could be saying '我很聪' instead of '我很聪明.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 聪

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Etymology of 聪

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 总 represents the sound. Simplified form of 聰.

Memory Hint

ear

Semantic (meaning)耳
+
Phonetic (sound)总
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 聪?

Decomposition of 聪

IDS Structure⿰耳总
聪Full Character
=
耳er3
left
总zong3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 聪?

Write 聪

聪

Practice writing 聪 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 聪

聪 functions as an adjective. In Chinese it behaves like a stative verb: place it directly after the subject without 是 (我很高，not 我是高). Use 不 to negate (不高) and pair it with 很 in plain affirmative sentences. It carries 7 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

她又____明又漂亮。

She is both smart and beautiful.

Example Sentences for 聪 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我接触到一些非常聪明的哈佛和耶鲁的学生。

wǒ jiē chù dào yī xiē fēi cháng cōng míng de hā fó hé yé lǔ de xué shēng。

I came into contact with very bright Harvard and Yale students.
2
制作摇滚唱片并不要求你非得绝顶聪明。

zhì zuò yáo gǔn chàng piàn bìng bù yào qiú nǐ fēi dé jué dǐng cōng míng。

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to make a rock record.
3
他被诊断患有严重的阅读困难症，但是却绝顶聪明。

tā bèi zhěn duàn huàn yǒu yán zhòng de yuè dú kùn nán zhèng， ， dàn shì què jué dǐng cōng。

He was diagnosed as severely dyslexic but extraordinarily bright.
4
他把聪明都用在了犯罪上，太可惜了。

tā bǎ cōng míng dū yòng zài le fàn zuì shàng， ， tài kě xī。

Too bad he used his intelligence for criminal purposes.
5
并不是只有他们聪明、有志向。

bìng bù shì zhī yǒu tā mén cōng míng、 、 yǒu zhì。

They were not the only ones to have brains and ambition.
6
他是个不错的小伙子——聪明伶俐而且性格开朗。

tā shì gè bù cuò de xiǎo huǒ zǐ—— —— cōng míng líng lì ér qiě xìng gé kāi。

He was a nice lad — bright and with a sunny disposition.
7
苏珊是个非常聪明、有主见的女子。

sū shān shì gè fēi cháng cōng míng、 、 yǒu zhǔ jiàn de nǚ。

Susan'sa very bright and intelligent woman who knows her own mind.
8
我得承认，你是个挺聪明的孩子。

wǒ dé chéng rèn， ， nǐ shì gè tǐng cōng míng de hái。

You're a bright enough kid, I'll give you that.
9
他是个聪明人，是个好小伙。

tā shì gè cōng míng rén， ， shì gè hǎo xiǎo。

He's an intelligent man and a nice fella.
10
我并不认为自己是那种非常聪明、脑子好使的人。

wǒ bìng bù rèn wéi zì jǐ shì nà zhǒng fēi cháng cōng míng、 、 nǎo zǐ hǎo shǐ de。

I don't class myself as being very intelligent or brainy.

Cultural Notes for 聪

💡Did you know?

In Chinese, the character 聪 is associated with the ear (耳). The ability to hear well is often linked to wisdom and intelligence in Chinese culture, emphasizing the importance of listening and understanding.

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, being 聪明 (cōngmíng) is highly valued, especially in educational settings. Parents often aspire for their children to be 聪明, associating intelligence with success and respect in society.

📜Proverb

A common Chinese saying is '耳聪目明' (ěr cōng mù míng), which means 'sharp of hearing and bright of sight,' used to describe someone who is very perceptive and aware.

Word Family of 聪

Words Containing This Character15
聪明cōngmíngclever聰明
聪cōngwise聰
聪慧bright聰慧
聪明才智intelligence and wisdom聰明才智
小聪明clever-clever小聰明
自作聪明to think oneself clever (idiom)自作聰明
聪明伶俐clever and quick-witted聰明伶俐
失聪to go deaf失聰
聪颖smart聰穎
聪敏quick聰敏
聪明绝顶highly intelligent (idiom)聰明絕頂
聪明反被聪明误too smart for one's own good聰明反被聰明誤
冰雪聪明exceptionally intelligent (idiom)冰雪聰明
耳聪目明keen and alert耳聰目明
绝顶聪明extremely bright (idiom)絕頂聰明
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 聪明 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 聪

Some synonyms for 聪 include 明智 (míngzhì), which means wise, and 聪明 (cōngmíng), which also means clever. These words can be used interchangeably in many contexts to describe intelligence or sharpness of mind.