灵

靈
líng
#733 most
frequent character
spirit
noun
adjective

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

灵 líng pairs 火, fire, with 彐, which was once 𢆉 and gave the sound in an older character meaning 'small fire'. 灵 was then borrowed to stand for 靈 líng, 'spirit'. From that came 'god', 'spirit, soul', 'magical' and 'clever, nimble'.

灵 as a component in other characters

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Example Sentences

灵魂是我们存在的本质。
línghún shì wǒmen cúnzài de běnzhì 。
The spirit is the essence of our existence.
她的灵感来自于大自然。
tāde línggǎn láizìyú dàzìrán 。
Her inspiration comes from nature.
在中国文化中，灵兽被视为守护神。
zài zhōngguó wénhuà zhōng ， líng shòu bèi shìwéi shǒu hù shén 。
In Chinese culture, spirit beasts are regarded as guardian deities.

Words with similar meanings

神shén
god/spirit
This term refers to a divine being or spirit, often of higher status or power.
幻huàn
illusion/phantom
This word conveys a sense of something ethereal or not tangible, like a phantom.

Homophones

HSK 1
零líng
zero, nought, zero sign, fractional
HSK 5
铃líng
(small) bell
陵líng
mound, tomb, hill, mountain
令líng
used in 脊令[ji2 ling2]
龄líng
age, length of experience, membership etc
凌líng
to approach, to rise high, thick ice

Words Starting With 灵

灵活líng huó
flexible; nimble; agile
灵感líng gǎn
inspiration; insight; a burst of creativity in scientific or artistic endeavor
灵敏líng mǐn
smart; clever; sensitive; keen; quick; sharp
灵魂líng hún
soul; spirit

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