聪

聰

cōng

总 + 耳

Definitions

cōng (adjective) intelligent; clever; sharp-witted

cōng (adjective) quick at hearing; acute

Etymology

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

Semantic: 耳 Phonetic: 总

About

The character 聪 is the simplified form of 聰. It is a phono-semantic compound: the left side is the ear radical 耳, which signals the meaning of hearing, and the right side is 总 (a simplification of the traditional phonetic 悤) that gives the sound. Originally, the character described sharp auditory perception, the ability to discern faint or subtle sounds. This concrete sense of acute hearing later extended metaphorically to mental sharpness, and today 聪 typically means intelligent, clever, and quick-witted, emphasizing the ability to grasp things quickly.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical Western Jin dynasty (266-316 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他非常聪明。

Tā fēicháng cōngming.

He is very smart.

这个女孩聪明又可爱。

Zhège nǚhái cōngming yòu kě'ài.

This girl is smart and cute.

聪明的人学得快。

Cōngming de rén xué de kuài.

Smart people learn quickly.

他虽然聪明，但是很懒惰。

Tā suīrán cōngming, dànshì hěn lǎnduò.

Although he is smart, he is very lazy.

她不认为自己聪明。

Tā bù rènwéi zìjǐ cōngming.

She does not think she is smart.

你怎么知道他很聪明？

Nǐ zěnme zhīdào tā hěn cōngming?

How do you know he is very smart?

在课堂上，他总是表现出惊人的聪明。

Zài kètáng shàng, tā zǒngshì biǎoxiàn chū jīngrén de cōngming.

In class, he always shows amazing intelligence.

尽管他天生聪颖，但仍需要努力学习才能成功。

Jǐnguǎn tā tiānshēng cōngyǐng, dàn réng xūyào nǔlì xuéxí cáinéng chénggōng.

Although he is born intelligent, he still needs to study hard to succeed.

Related Characters

Component: 总

Component: 耳

聪