Meaning
extinguish
Chinese: 熄灭、消灭;使不存在。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “mie” becomes a different word in each tone. 灭 is the 4th tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 消灭xiāo mièto put an end to; to annihilate; to cause to perish; to perish
- 毁灭huǐ mièto perish; to ruin; to destroy
- 灭亡miè wángto be destroyed; to become extinct; to perish; to die out
- 熄灭xī mièto stop burning; to go out (of fire); to die out; extinguished
- 灭绝miè juéto become extinct; to die out; to lose (sth abstract) completely; to exterminate
Example Sentence
睡觉前别忘了把灯熄灭。Shuì jiào qián bié wàng le bǎ dēng xī miè.Do not forget to turn off the light before sleeping.
睡觉Shuì jiàoto go to bed前qiánfront别biéto leave忘wàngto forget了le(completed action)把bǎ(marks the object)灯dēnglamp熄灭xī mièto stop burning。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
A cover (一) pressed down over fire (火): smother the flames — ‘to extinguish / wipe out’. A clear picture-idea. Simplified from 滅.
A way to remember it
A lid clapped over fire — put out.
Easy to confuse with
- 火‘Fire’: 灭 is fire with a lid on top to put it out.