密

• Pinyin: mì
• Hanzi breakdown: 密 = 宀 (roof) + 必 (must) + 山 (mountain) — tightly enclosed, dense

Meaning

Dense; close together; tight; secret. Describes things that are closely packed, tightly woven, or confidential.

A versatile adjective with several related meanings: physically dense or close together (人口密 densely populated), tightly woven or fine-grained (密封 sealed tight), and confidential (密信 secret letter). Opposite of 疏 (sparse). Commonly appears in compounds like 密集 (concentrated), 密度 (density), and 亲密 (intimate).

Examples

1. 这片森林里的树木非常密。 The trees in this forest are very dense.
2. 这里的房子建得很密，巷子非常窄。 The houses here are built very close together, and the alleys are very narrow.
3. 今天的雨下得又密又急。 Today's rain is falling heavy and fast.

Usage Guide

Context: description, science, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 竹林长得太密了，走不进去。(The bamboo grove is too dense to walk through.)
• 针脚缝得真密，做得很好。(The stitches are sewn very tight — well done.)

Don't Say

• 天气很密 — 密 does not describe weather conditions; for humid weather, use 闷 or 潮湿 instead

Origin & History

密 combines 宀 (roof), 必 (must), and 山 (mountain), suggesting something tightly enclosed within walls and mountains — hence dense and secret.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal