Word: 明 (míng)

上明不知下暗

shàng míng bùzhī xià àn

those above, though enlightened, don't know the darkness below

事久自然明

shì jiǔ zìrán míng

given time, a matter becomes clear by itself

人逢喜事精神爽，月到中秋分外明

rénféngxǐshìjīngshénshuǎng, yuè dào zhōngqiū fènwài míng

when people meet happy events their spirits are bright; when the moon reaches mid-autumn it is extra clear

先明后不争

xiān míng hòu bùzhēng

make it clear first, no quarrel later

劳动合同写明了工资。

Láodònghétong xiě míngle gōngzī.

The labor contract states the salary clearly.

吃了萤火虫，肚子里明

chīle yínghuǒchóng, dǔzi lǐ míng

Ate a firefly: bright inside the belly

国王明晚会亲自出现。

Guówáng míng wǎnhuì qīnzì chūxiàn.

The king will appear in person tomorrow evening.

外明不知里暗

wài míng bùzhī lǐ àn

outside bright, you don't know inside dark

大槐树上挂电灯,四方有明

dà huáishù shàng guà diàndēng,sìfāng yǒu míng

hanging an electric light on a big locust tree: bright in all four directions

小明同学管理能力很强。

Xiǎo míng tóngxué guǎnlǐ nénglì hěn qiáng.

My classmate, Xiao Ming, has strong managerial capability.

小明很喜欢飞机模型。

Xiǎo míng hěn xǐhuan fēijī móxíng.

Xiaoming really likes model airplanes.

小明还不知道他明年去哪儿。

Xiǎo míng hái bù zhīdào tā míngnián qù nǎr.

Little Ming still doesn't know where he's going to go next year.

我还不知道你明不明白。

Wǒ hái bù zhīdào nǐ míng bù míngbai.

I wonder if you understand.

打灯笼走亲戚,明来明去

dǎdēnglóng zǒuqīnqi,míng lái míng qù

visiting relatives with a lantern: coming and going in the light

新斧子劈木柴，明砍

xīn fǔzi pī mùchái, míng kǎn

a new axe chopping firewood: chops in the open (speaks frankly)

明人不说暗话

míng rén bù shuō ànhuà

an honest person doesn't speak in the dark

明人自断，愚人官断

míng rén zì duàn, yúrén guān duàn

the wise judge themselves, the foolish are judged by the court

明子在法国有一些朋友。

Míng zi zài Fǎguó yǒu yìxiē péngyou.

Akiko has some friends in France.

明擅长打网球。

Míng shàncháng dǎ wǎngqiú.

Akira is good at playing tennis.

月亮底下打灯笼，空挂明

yuèliang dǐxia dǎdēnglóng, kōng guà míng

carrying a lantern under the moon: it hangs bright for nothing

有诗曰：床前明月光。

Yǒu shī yuē: chuáng qián míng yuèguāng.

A poem says: bright moonlight before my bed.

李明家下面那家衣服店。

Lǐ míng jiā xiàmiàn nà jiā yīfu diàn.

The clothes shop just after Li Ming's house.

灯一拨就亮，理一讲就明

dēng yì bō jiù liàng, lǐ yì jiǎng jiù míng

a lamp brightens once trimmed; a principle is clear once explained

电线杆子上挂灯笼，有明的光棍儿

diànxiàngān zǐ shàng guà dēnglóng, yǒu míng de guānggùnr

hanging a lantern on a utility pole: a famous bare pole

真理越辩越明，道理越讲越清

zhēnlǐ yuè biàn yuè míng, dàoli yuè jiǎng yuè qīng

truth gets clearer the more it is debated, reason gets clearer the more it is explained

这是不证自明的。

Zhè shì bú zhèng zì míng de.

It's self-evident.

那时明没有在和正雄跳舞。

Nàshí míng méiyǒu zài hé zhèng xióng tiàowǔ.

Ming wasn't dancing with Masao then.

部队明早就要出发了。

Bùduì míng zǎojiù yào chūfāle.

The troops will set off early tomorrow morning.

鸡叫头遍上路，越走越明

jījiào tóu biàn shànglù, yuè zǒu yuè míng

setting out at the first cockcrow: the further you go, the brighter

鸡吃萤火虫，肚子里明

jī chī yínghuǒchóng, dǔzi lǐ míng

a chicken eats a firefly: it's bright inside its belly