adjective / adverb HSK 4
Traditional 明顯
obvious · clear · evident · apparent
Meaning
明显 means something is clearly visible, easy to see, or unmistakable. It combines 明 (bright, clear) and 显 (to show, appear) to express that something stands out noticeably or is readily apparent to observation.
Usage
Commonly used both as an adjective (明显的变化 'obvious change') and as an adverb (明显提高 'clearly improved'). Slightly more formal than colloquial alternatives like 很明白. Often appears in analytical or descriptive contexts when pointing out differences, changes, or characteristics that are easy to perceive.
Examples
- 01他这次考试明显进步了。.He clearly made progress on this exam.
- 02这两个产品的质量有明显的差别。.There is an obvious difference in quality between these two products.
Characters
Common collocations
- 明显的差别obvious difference
- 明显提高clearly improve
- 明显感觉到clearly feel/sense
- 很明显very obvious/clear
Antonyms
Origin
Both characters relate to visibility: 明 originally depicted the sun and moon together (brightness), while 显 contains the radical 日 (sun), reinforcing the idea of something being illuminated or made visible.