明亮
míngliàng · HSK 5
bright
☀️💡 明 (bright: sun 日 + moon 月) + 亮 (light) = brilliantly bright
明 combines 日 (sun) and 月 (moon), the two brightest things in the sky. 亮 means light or shining. Together 明亮 doubles down: bright + bright = well-lit, luminous, shining.
亮 — top 亠 + 口 + legs 儿
亮 originally depicted a person (儿) standing on a high platform (亠+口) where light reaches, conveying the idea of brightness from an elevated, open place. Over time it generalized to mean 'bright, light, clear,' and by extension 'loud/clear' for sounds.