Definition
文明 (wén míng) as a noun means 'civilization, culture' — broader than 文化 (wén huà, which focuses on cultural products). As an adjective it means 'civilized, polite', describing a well-mannered society; it is more general than 礼貌 (lǐ mào, specific polite behavior) or 客气 (kè qi, formal politeness in interactions).
noun
civilizationculture
adjective
civilizedculturedpolite
Measure word · 个
Easily confused
- 闻名wén míngsound-aliketo be well-known, to be famous
Examples
- 文明。Zhōngguó gǔdài wén míng liú xià le xǔduō zhēnguì yíchǎn.Ancient Chinese civilization left behind many precious heritages.
- 文明。Gōnggòng chǎngsuǒ qǐng shǐyòng wén míng yòngyǔ.Please use polite language in public places.
- 文明。Zhè zuò chéngshì de wén míng chéngdù lìng rén jīngtàn.The level of civilization in this city is amazing.
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