昧

mèi

日 + 未

Definitions

mèi (adjective) dark; dim; obscure

mèi (verb) to conceal; to hide

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 日 represents the meaning and 未 represents the sound.

Semantic: 日 Phonetic: 未

About

昧 is a phono-semantic compound meaning darkness, obscurity, and lack of understanding. The left side is the semantic radical 日 (sun), which usually relates to light and time but here indicates the fading or absence of sunlight. The right side is the phonetic component 未, which provides the pronunciation. The character originally described the dim light of dawn or dusk before the sun is fully visible. This physical darkness later expanded to represent intellectual obscurity, ignorance, and the act of concealing the truth.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他的行为很愚昧。

Tā de xíngwéi hěn yúmèi.

His behavior is very foolish.

他们的关系有点暧昧。

Tāmen de guānxi yǒudiǎn àimèi.

Their relationship is somewhat ambiguous.

古代社会比较蒙昧。

Gǔdài shèhuì bǐjiào méngmèi.

Ancient society was relatively ignorant.

他从不昧良心做事。

Tā cóng bù mèi liángxīn zuòshì.

He never goes against his conscience to do things.

昧着良心说话是不对的。

Mèizhe liángxīn shuōhuà shì bù duì de.

It is wrong to speak against one's conscience.

由于愚昧，他错过了机会。

Yóuyú yúmèi, tā cuòguòle jīhuì.

Due to ignorance, he missed the opportunity.

虽然他知道真相，但他还是昧心地否认了。

Suīrán tā zhīdào zhēnxiàng, dàn tā háishì mèixīn de fǒurènle.

Although he knew the truth, he still denied it against his conscience.

在利益的驱使下，他昧着良心做出了错误决定。

Zài lìyì de qūshǐ xià, tā mèizhe liángxīn zuò chūle cuòwù juédìng.

Driven by profit, he made a wrong decision against his conscience.

Related Characters

Component: 日

Component: 未

昧