明白

めいはく · meihaku · JLPT N1 · na-adj

obvious

☀️ 明 (bright, sun+moon) + 白 (white, clear): light that leaves nothing hidden, so it's plain to see

明 means bright, and 白 means white or plain. Together they describe something lit up clearly enough that there is nothing left to puzzle over.

白 — pictograph; resembles 日 (sun) with a stroke on top
白 is generally considered a pictograph, traditionally explained as depicting the sun rising with a ray of light above it, hence the meaning 'white' or 'bright.' Some scholars instead see it as a drawing of a thumbnail or an acorn. From 'bright' it extended to 'clear,' 'plain,' and 'to state plainly.'

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