聪明 cōng ming
“intelligent; clever; bright”
adjective, adjective / nounHSK 3 · 2021 list level 5Traditional 聰明
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
聪明 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 570: 聪明 cōngmíng — Level 3; official annotation 3 (形). PDF page 94
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 聪明
聪明 means 'smart' or 'clever' and describes someone who learns or understands quickly, especially a child or student. It is an adjective, so it usually appears after 很 or before 的 + noun: 很聪明, 聪明的孩子. Do not use 是 before a plain adjective predicate.
例句Example sentences
- 我妹妹很聪明，学什么都很快。wǒ mèi mei hěn cōng ming, xué shén me dōu hěn kuài.My younger sister is very smart; she learns everything quickly.
- 这个问题很难，但他很聪明，马上就想到了答案。zhè ge wèn tí hěn nán, dàn tā hěn cōng ming, mǎ shàng jiù xiǎng dào le dá àn.This question is hard, but he is smart and thought of the answer right away.
- 她是一个聪明又可爱的孩子。tā shì yí gè cōng ming yòu kě ài de hái zi.She is a smart and cute child.