字 Kanji Decipher

Meaning & readings

alliance, oath

On’yomi メイ

Origin

The character combines two parts: the component 明 at the top serves as a sound hint for the pronunciation, while 皿 at the bottom—a picture of a shallow dish or vessel—acts as the classifier. In ancient China, alliances and oaths were often sealed through ritual ceremonies involving sacred vessels or offerings made in dishes. By placing the sound element above the vessel radical, the character visually represents the idea of a solemn agreement made through formal ritual, with the dish suggesting the ceremonial nature of the bond.

盟 13 strokes

Components

  • 明 sound hint top
  • 皿 radical bottom

A sound hint component points at the character’s pronunciation, not its meaning — don’t read a meaning into it.

Common words

  • 加盟 かめい joining (an association, agreement, etc.); participation
  • 盟主 めいしゅ leader (of an alliance); leading power
  • 盟約 めいやく oath; pledge
  • 盟友 めいゆう sworn friend
  • 連盟 れんめい league; federation
  • 同盟 どうめい alliance; union

Related kanji

Same radical

Reference

Strokes
13
Kangxi radical
108
Formation type
Phono-semantic (meaning + sound hint)
Grade
Grade 6 (Kyōiku)
Frequency rank
#587 (newspapers)
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+076DF