JLPT N4 · Japanese kanji

明

明 — bright

Reading
メイ・ミョウ・ミン・あ.かり・あか.るい・あか.るむ・あか.らむ・あき.らか・あ.ける・\~あ.け・あ.く・あ.くる・あ.かす
Meaning
bright; light
JLPT level
N4
Language
Japanese

About this kanji

明 is a japanese kanji character commonly studied at the JLPT N4 level. Its primary reading is メイ・ミョウ・ミン・あ.かり・あか.るい・あか.るむ・あか.らむ・あき.らか・あ.ける・\~あ.け・あ.く・あ.くる・あ.かす and it means bright; light. To master it, see it in real Japanese content — import an article or YouTube video into InputDojo and every occurrence becomes a one-tap lookup.

明 appears in everyday japanese words such as 不明 (unknown), 声明 (declaration) and 明朗 (bright).

Japanese words containing 明

Frequently asked questions

What does 明 mean in Japanese?

明 means bright; light in Japanese. It is one of the JLPT N4 kanji every learner meets at that level.

How is 明 read?

明 is read メイ・ミョウ・ミン・あ.かり・あか.るい・あか.るむ・あか.らむ・あき.らか・あ.ける・\~あ.け・あ.く・あ.くる・あ.かす. Reading it inside real words — 不明 and 声明 and more — is the fastest way to remember it.

What level is 明 — is it JLPT N4?

Yes. 明 is on the official JLPT N4 kanji list, so it can appear in that exam's reading and vocabulary sections.

How do you use 明 in a word?

A common word containing 明 is 不明 (ふめい) — "unknown". More examples are listed below, each with a one-tap dictionary entry.

How do I learn 明 effectively?

Read it in context. Import any Japanese article or video into InputDojo and every occurrence of 明 becomes a one-tap lookup with SRS flashcards, so you meet it in real sentences instead of a list.

More JLPT N4 kanji

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