Taxonomy of meanings for 聰:　　

  • 聰 cōng (OC: skhooŋ MC: tsʰuŋ) 倉紅切 平 廣韻：【聞也明也察也聽也殷仲堪父患耳聦聞牀下蟻動謂之牛鬭出晉書 】
  • cōngHEAR
    • vibe clear of hearing
    • vadNclear and acute (of hearing)DS
  • cōngINTELLIGENT
    • nabconcept(visual) intelligence
    • nabdispositionacoustic intelligence> ability to understand a truth when one hears it
    • nabpsychclarity, distinctness of hearing
    • v[adN]nonreferentialone who is intelligent> the intelligent
    • vadNbe sharp of hearing; by extension: be sharp of understanding; be all-informed
    • vibe sharp of understanding; be well-informed
    • vt+prep+Nabbe clever at NCH
  • cōngWISE
    • virefers to incisive intelligence

Additional information about 聰

說文解字:

    Criteria
  • STUPID

    1. The dominant word is yú 愚 (ant. zhì 智 "clever; wise"), and the word refers to moral as well as intellectual obtuseness as well as practical ineptitude.

    2. Zhuó 拙 (ant. jié 捷 "nimble") refers to practical ineptitude.

    3. Chī 癡 (ant. yǐ4ng 穎 "very clever") refers to moronic clinical intellectual ineptitude.

    4. Lǔ 魯 and dùn 鈍 (ant. huì 慧 "clever") refer to boorish and rustic bluntness of sensibility.

    5. Bì 蔽 and měng 蒙 (all ant. cōng 聰 "clever"), refer to an appearance of stupidity due to limited access to information, a state of stupidity that is typically construed as remediable.

    6. Mèi 昧 and àn 暗 (ant. míng 明 "clear-minded") refer primarily to benightedness of mind and lack of an enlightened attitude, particularly on the part of a ruler or a person who should know better.

    7. Wán 頑 and lòu 陋 (both ant.* bó 博 "broadly civilised") add the nuance of stubbornness to that of stupidity as such.

    NB: Bèn 笨, āi 呆, shǎ3 傻, and chūn 蠢 are post-Han words for stupidity and silliness.

  • INTELLIGENT

    1. The most general word for the native ability to understand or to do things is zhī 知 "knowing", but a problem with this word is that it ranges freely and often imperceptibly in meaning from spiritual wisdom to technical competence.

    2. Míng 明 (ant. àn 闇 "obfuscated in one's mind"), taking its analogy from sharpness of vision, typically refers to clarity of insight at all levels.

    3. Cōng 聰 (ant. kuì 聵 "hard of understanding"), taking its analogy from sharpness of hearing, typically refers to well-informed sharpness of judgment.

    4. Shān 顫 is a very rare word referring to the acute sense of smell, and thus to narine intelligence.

    5. Chá 察 refers to discriminating investigative intelligence.

    6. Ruì 睿 perspicacious in reflection.

    SHU, HONGFAN: 視曰明，聽曰聰，思曰睿。

  • WISE

    1. The current general word for wisdom is zhì 智 (ant. yú 愚 "devoid of wisdom") and this may refer to any acquired superior intellectual ability beyond the realm of memorisation or mundane knowledge, the quality which enables one to móu 謀 give good advice..

    2. Shèng 聖 (ant. yōng 庸 "mediocre") refers to supreme sagehood and perfection of character.

    3. Míng 明 (ant. bì 蔽 "beclouded, mentally obfuscated") refers to more cerebral clarity of moral insight and superb perceptiveness.

    4. Cōng 聰 (ant. dùn 鈍 "numb and insensitive") refers to sharp and incisive intelligence, especially in the analyses of what one has learnt and heard.

    5. Huì 慧 can refer to natural profound wisdom and depth of insight, but the word often comes close to referring to natural cunning.

    6. Yǐng 穎 is a rare and archaising word referring to quite extraordinary superb intellectual ability.

    7. Ruì 睿 refers to general astuteness and thoughtfulness.

    Word relations
  • Ant: (HEAR)聾/DEAF The general word for deafness of any kind, congenital or not, is lóng 聾 (ant. tīng 聽 "able to hear").
  • Assoc: (INTELLIGENT)慧 / 惠/WISE Huì 慧 refers to profound wisdom and depth of insight.
  • Assoc: (INTELLIGENT)智 / 知/INTELLIGENT The most general word for native ability to understand is zhī 知 (ant. wú zhī 無知 "lack the ability to understand"), but the word ranges in meaning from spiritual wisdom to technical competence.
  • Oppos: (HEAR)明/SEE Míng 明 (ant. máng 盲 "unable to see at all") refers to clarity of general vision and is predominantly used in transferred senses.