密

Translingual

Han character

密 (Kangxi radical 40, 宀+8, 11 strokes, cangjie input 十心竹山 (JPHU), four-corner 3077₃, composition ⿱宓山)

References

Kangxi Dictionary: page 288, character 11
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 7205
Dae Jaweon: page 570, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 940, character 6
Unihan data for U+5BC6

Chinese

simp. and trad.		密
2nd round simp.		宓
alternative forms		宻宓𡶇𢛬𧶡宻宓𡶇𢛬𧶡𡪖

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (必) (Zhengzhang, 2003)

	Old Chinese
泌	mpriɡs, priɡ, *bliɡ
秘	*mpriɡs
毖	*priɡs
閟	*priɡs
柲	priɡs, bliːɡ, priɡ, bliɡ
鉍	priɡs, priɡ
邲	priɡs, bliɡ, *briɡ
覕	pliŋs, mbliːɡ
咇	bliːɡ, priɡ, *bliɡ
苾	bliːɡ, bliɡ
馝	bliːɡ, bliɡ
飶	bliːɡ, bliɡ
鴓	*mbliːɡ
鮅	pliɡ, bliɡ
必	*pliɡ
珌	*pliɡ
佖	bliɡ, briɡ
駜	bliɡ, briɡ
怭	*bliɡ
妼	*bliɡ
宓	mriɡ, mliɡ
樒	*mriɡ
密	*mriɡ
蔤	*mriɡ
滵	*mriɡ
蜜	*mliɡ
謐	*mliɡ
榓	*mliɡ
淧	*mliɡ
瑟	smriɡ, smriɡ
璱	*sriɡ
飋	*sriɡ
虙	*blɯɡ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *mriɡ) : phonetic 宓 (OC *mriɡ, *mliɡ) + semantic 山 (“mountain”) – hidden in the mountains, secret, intimate. Note that 宓 means “secret”, hence the phonetic component also adds part of the meaning.

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “←→秘?”)

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): mì (mi⁴)

(Zhuyin): ㄇㄧˋ

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): ми (mi, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): mat⁶

(Taishan, Wiktionary): mit⁵
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): me̍t

(Meixian, Guangdong): mêd⁶
Northern Min (KCR): mĭ
Eastern Min (BUC): mĭk
Southern Min
(Hokkien, POJ): bi̍t / ba̍t

(Teochew, Peng'im): mig⁸ / bhag⁸
Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁸miq

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: mì
  - Zhuyin: ㄇㄧˋ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: mì
  - Wade–Giles: mi⁴
  - Yale: mì
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mih
  - Palladius: ми (mi)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi⁵¹/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: ми (mi, II)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi⁵¹/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
  - Jyutping: mat⁶
  - Yale: maht
  - Cantonese Pinyin: mat⁹
  - Guangdong Romanization: med⁶
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mɐt̚²/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: mit⁵
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐbit̚³²/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: me̍t
  - Hakka Romanization System: med
  - Hagfa Pinyim: med⁶
  - Sinological IPA: /met̚⁵/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: mêd⁶
  - Sinological IPA: /mɛt̚⁵/
Northern Min
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mĭ
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi²⁴/
Eastern Min
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: mĭk
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /miʔ⁵/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bi̍t
  - Tâi-lô: bi̍t
  - Phofsit Daibuun: bit
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /bit̚⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /bit̚¹²¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /bit̚²⁴/
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese, Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ba̍t
  - Tâi-lô: ba̍t
  - Phofsit Daibuun: bat
  - IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /bat̚⁴/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /bat̚¹²¹/
  - IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Philippines): /bat̚²⁴/

Note:

bi̍t - literary (“dense; secret; fine”);
ba̍t - vernacular (“dense”).

(Teochew)
- Peng'im: mig⁸ / bhag⁸
- Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mi̍k / ba̍k
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /mik̚⁴/, /bak̚⁴/

Note:

mig8 - literary;
bhag8 - vernacular.

Wu
- (Northern: Shanghai)
  - Wugniu: ⁸miq
  - MiniDict: mih^入
  - Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ⁵miq
  - Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /miɪʔ¹²/

Middle Chinese: mit

Rime
Character	密
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	質 (49)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	美畢切
Baxter	mit
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/mˠiɪt̚/
Pan Wuyun	/mᵚit̚/
Shao Rongfen	/miet̚/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mjit̚/
Li Rong	/mjĕt̚/
Wang Li	/mĭĕt̚/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mi̯ĕt̚/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mì
Expected Cantonese Reflex	mat⁶

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*mri[t]/

(Zhengzhang): /*mriɡ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	密
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	mì
Middle Chinese	‹ mit ›
Old Chinese	/*mri[t]/
English	dense
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	密
Reading #	1/1
No.	591
Phonetic component	必
Rime group	質
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	密
Old Chinese	/*mriɡ/

Definitions

密

dense; thick; close; tight
密集 ― mìjí ― to be crowded together

門關密。／门关密。 [Hokkien] ― Mn̂g koaiⁿ ba̍t. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī] ― The door is closed tightly.

田種甲真密。 [Hokkien, trad.]
田种甲真密。 [Hokkien, simp.]
Chhân chèng kah chin ba̍t. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
The field is planted densely.
intimate; close
secret; confidential; concealed
fine; meticulous; careful
^† calm; quiet; tranquil
(Internet slang) to DM; to send a direct message
33rd tetragram of the Taixuanjing; "closeness" (𝌦)
a surname

Compounds

Descendants

→ Thai: มิด (mít)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): be̍eh

Southern Min
- (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: be̍eh
  - Tâi-lô: be̍eh
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /bɛʔ¹²¹/

Definitions

密

(Zhangzhou Hokkien) densely packed; dense and numerous

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of 密 – see 峇 (“(Hokkien) closed tightly”). (This character is a variant form of 峇).

Etymology 4

For pronunciation and definitions of 密 – see 沕 (“(Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Taiwanese Hokkien) to submerge; to inundate; to drown”). (This character is a variant form of 沕).

References

“密”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

密

(Sixth grade kyōiku kanji)

Readings

Go-on: みつ (mitsu, Jōyō)^{←みつ (mitu, historical)}、みち (michi)^{←みち (miti, historical)}
Kan-on: びつ (bitsu)^{←びつ (bitu, historical)}
Kun: ひそか (hisoka, 密か)、ひそやか (hisoyaka, 密やか)、みそか (misoka, 密か)

Compounds

密(みっ)教(きょう) (mikkyō, “esoteric Buddhism”)
密(みっ)航(こう) (mikkō, “smuggling”)
密(みっ)告(こく) (mikkoku, “tipoff”)
密(みっ)室(しつ) (misshitsu, “hidden room”)
密(みっ)接(せつ) (missetsu, “close relationship”)
密(みつ)談(だん) (mitsudan, “secret conversation”)
密(みっ)着(ちゃく) (mitchaku, “being adhered to”)
密(みつ)入(にゅう)国(こく) (mitsunyūkoku, “illegal immigration”)
密(みっ)封(ぷう) (mippū, “sealing”)
密(みつ)輸(ゆ) (mitsuyu, “smuggling”)
密(みつ)猟(りょう) (mitsuryō, “poaching”)
秘(ひ)密(みつ) (himitsu, “secret”)

Etymology

Kanji in this term
密
みつ Grade: 6
goon

From Middle Chinese 密 (MC mit).

First cited to a text from 1092.^[1]

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) みつ [míꜜtsù] (Atamadaka – [1])^[2]
IPA^(key): [mʲit͡sɨ]

Noun

密(みつ) • (mitsu)

something without breaks or openings, something dense
a secret, (especially) something done secretly
Synonym: 秘密 (himitsu)
(Buddhism) the teachings of esoteric Buddhism
Synonym: 密教 (mikkyō)

Adjective

密(みつ) • (mitsu) -na (adnominal 密(みつ)な (mitsu na), adverbial 密(みつ)に (mitsu ni))

dense, without breaks or openings
meticulous, carefully done, scrupulous
密(みつ)な計(けい)画(かく)
mitsu na keikaku
a meticulous schedule
(of relations among people) close, familiar, intimate
Synonym: 深い (fukai)

密(みつ)な間(あいだ)柄(がら)
mitsu na aidagara
familiar terms, intimate relations

Inflection

Inflection of 密

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	密だろ	みつだろ	mitsu daro
Continuative (連用形)	密で	みつで	mitsu de
Terminal (終止形)	密だ	みつだ	mitsu da
Attributive (連体形)	密な	みつな	mitsu na
Hypothetical (仮定形)	密なら	みつなら	mitsu nara
Imperative (命令形)	密であれ	みつであれ	mitsu de are
Key constructions
Informal negative	密ではない密じゃない	みつではないみつじゃない	mitsu de wa nai mitsu ja nai
Informal past	密だった	みつだった	mitsu datta
Informal negative past	密ではなかった密じゃなかった	みつではなかったみつじゃなかった	mitsu de wa nakatta mitsu ja nakatta
Formal	密です	みつです	mitsu desu
Formal negative	密ではありません密じゃありません	みつではありませんみつじゃありません	mitsu de wa arimasen mitsu ja arimasen
Formal past	密でした	みつでした	mitsu deshita
Formal negative past	密ではありませんでした密じゃありませんでした	みつではありませんでしたみつじゃありませんでした	mitsu de wa arimasen deshita mitsu ja arimasen deshita
Conjunctive	密で	みつで	mitsu de
Conditional	密なら（ば）	みつなら（ば）	mitsu nara (ba)
Provisional	密だったら	みつだったら	mitsu dattara
Volitional	密だろう	みつだろう	mitsu darō
Adverbial	密に	みつに	mitsu ni
Degree	密さ	みつさ	mitsusa

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

Korean

Hanja

密 (eumhun 빽빽할 밀 (ppaekppaekhal mil))

hanja form^? of 밀 (“dense”)

Compounds

밀수 (密輸, milsu, “smuggling”)
밀도 (密度, mildo, “density”)
밀봉 (密封, milbong, “sealing”)
밀접 (密接, miljeop, “being closely connected; being related”)
과밀 (過密, gwamil, “(demography) overcrowding, crowded ”)
비밀 (秘密, bimil, “secret”)
긴밀 (緊密, ginmil, “closeness, tightness”)
치밀 (緻密, chimil, “precision, minuteness, accuracy”)

Vietnamese

Han character

密: Hán Nôm readings: mật, mất

This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[1]

[2]