蜜 (mì): honey

Meanings

1 honey
2 sweet

Characters

蜜

mì

honey; sweet

Examples

蜂蜜是蜜蜂酿的蜜。

Fēngmì shì mìfēng niàng de mì.

Honey is the nectar brewed by bees.

她的笑容甜如蜜。

Tā de xiàoróng tián rú mì.

Her smile is as sweet as honey.

Tips

usage

蜜 appears in many compounds: 蜂蜜 (honey), 蜜蜂 (bee), 甜蜜 (sweet/honeyed), 蜜月 (honeymoon). It can describe both literal honey and figurative sweetness.

Components

radical

虫 chóng

insect

Bottom 虫 is the insect radical and indexing component — honey is what bees (insects) make. The radical at the foot ties 蜜 to its source: 蜜蜂 (honeybee), 蜂蜜 (honey). Same insect-family as 蜂, 蝶, 蚁, 蚊. Knowing this radical immediately tells you the substance is bee-derived.

phonetic

宓 mì

quiet; calm

Top 宓 supplies the sound (mì → mì, identical). 宓 itself is 宀+必 — a roof over a 'must/binding' element. Pure phonetic role; the standalone meaning 'quiet' doesn't carry into 蜜. Same phonetic in 密 (mì, dense, secret), 谧 (mì, tranquil), all keeping the mì reading exactly.