聡明な（そうめいな、soumeina）
- intelligent

The Japanese adjective 聡明な means "intelligent," "clever," "bright," or "wise." It describes someone who has a quick understanding, a sharp intellect, and the ability to think clearly and make good judgments. It often implies a natural ability rather than just acquired knowledge. This word carries a positive connotation, suggesting not just intelligence, but also a certain level of insight and discernment.

⚫︎彼女は聡明な女性です。 Translation: She is an intelligent woman. ⚫︎ 彼は聡明な判断をした。 Translation: He made a clever decision. ⚫︎ 聡明な学生はすぐに問題を解決できる。 Translation: Intelligent students can solve problems quickly.

You can use 聡明な to describe a person, their actions, or their characteristics. It is suitable for formal and informal situations, though perhaps more common in writing or slightly more formal speech. Use it when you want to highlight someone's intellectual abilities and their capacity for good judgment. You can use it to praise someone's intelligence or to describe someone's actions that demonstrate intelligence.

⚫︎The word is written in kanji as 聡明な. ⚫︎The reading is そうめいな (sōmeina) in hiragana. ⚫︎There are no other common ways to write this word. ⚫︎The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is always "な" when used adjectivally.

⚫︎賢い (かしこい - kashikoi): clever, wise. ⚫︎頭が良い (あたまがいい - atama ga yoi): smart, intelligent. ⚫︎利口な (りこうな - rikou na): clever, shrewd. ⚫︎知的な (ちてきな - chitekina): intellectual, intelligent. ⚫︎有能な (ゆうのうな - yuunō na): capable, competent.

⚫︎愚かな (おろかな - orokana): foolish, stupid. ⚫︎鈍い (にぶい - nibui): dull, slow-witted. ⚫︎愚鈍な (ぐどんな - gudon na): dull-witted, slow. ⚫︎バカな (bakana): stupid (very informal)

その聡明な弁護士は、難しい事件を解決した。 ・Translation: That intelligent lawyer solved the difficult case. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the lawyer's intelligence as a key factor in solving the problem. The sentence implies that his intellectual ability made him successful.

彼女の聡明な助言のおかげで、私は問題を解決できました。 ・Translation: Thanks to her wise advice, I was able to solve the problem. ・Explanation: This sentence shows how 聡明な describes a person whose advice or judgment is considered to be a great help. The word emphasizes the value of the person's smarts.

聡明 is a compound word. 聡 (sō) means "wise," "clever," or "discerning," and 明 (mei) means "bright," "clear," or "intelligent." The combination of these two characters creates the meaning of 聡明な, which is to possess clarity of mind and wisdom. The suffix "な" turns the noun into an adjective.