蜜 (mì): honey

Meanings

1 honey
2 sweet

Characters

蜜

mì

honey; sweet

Examples

HSK 6

她的笑容甜如蜜。

Tā de xiàoróng tián rú mì.

Her smile is as sweet as honey.

HSK 7-9

蜂蜜是蜜蜂酿的蜜。

Fēngmì shì mìfēng niàng de mì.

Honey is the nectar brewed by bees.

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.