ming4明

Jyutpingming4

Yalemìhng

語素Very common

Definition

Bright; well-lit.

colloquialdescriptions

How it's used

While 明 can mean bright, it is rarely used as a standalone adjective in spoken Cantonese to describe light levels. Instead, speakers prefer using 明亮 or simply saying 夠光 to describe a well-lit space. It is more commonly encountered as a morpheme in compound words like 明天 or 明白.

Examples

gaan3間fong2房hou2好ming4明，m4唔sai2使hoi1開dang1燈。

The room is very bright, no need to turn on the lights.

ni1呢dou6度gam3咁ming4明，tai2睇syu1書hou2好syu1舒fuk6服。

It is so bright here, it is very comfortable to read.

Common phrases

ming4明loeng6亮

bright and well-lit

ming4明baak6白

to understand

Common mistake

Learners often try to use 明 as a direct translation for bright in every context, but it sounds unnatural when describing the illumination of a room. Use 光 instead for general brightness.