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凜 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
凜lǐnto shiver with cold or fearx, 15 strokes, radical 冫
lǐn(lin3) T3
  1. 1to shiver with cold or fear
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

凜lǐn(lin3)

The character 凜 (lǐn) means to shiver or tremble, typically due to cold or fear. It is often used in literary contexts to convey a sense of dread or chilling atmosphere, making it evocative in poetry and storytelling.

Strokes15Radical冫
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese literature, the use of 凜 often evokes imagery of harsh winters and the resilience of people facing adversity, reflecting a deep appreciation for nature's power.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cold winter night where the wind howls, causing you to shiver (凜) with fear. The character has a radical that suggests ice or cold (氷), reinforcing the meaning of shivering due to low temperatures.

Meanings of 凜

lǐn(lin3)
1to shiver with cold or fear
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 凜

凜Simplified
15Strokes
冫Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 凜

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Podcast: 凜

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 凜

Quick Contrast

凄 (qī) vs 悲 (bēi) — use 凜 for a sense of shivering or chilling fear, while 凄 conveys a sense of sorrow, and 悲 focuses on deep sadness.

Usage Notes

It's important to use 凜 in contexts that evoke strong emotions, particularly fear or extreme cold. Be cautious of its formal tone; it's not commonly used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases describing chilling winds or fearful situations.

HSK Study Tips

Though this character is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be related to words expressing emotions or physical sensations. Students should focus on the emotional weight of the word and explore similar characters that convey feelings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 凜 with the similar-sounding 凉 (liáng), which also means 'cool' but lacks the emotional connotation. Remember that 凜 is more intense, often associated with shivering in fear or extreme cold.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 凜

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Etymology of 凜

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

ice

Semantic (meaning)冫
+
Phonetic (sound)稟
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 凜

  1. 1The meaning half冫 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half稟 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayice
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 凜? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 凜?

Decomposition of 凜

IDS Structure⿰冫稟
凜Full Character
=
冫bing1
left
稟bing3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 凜?

How to say to shiver with cold or fear in Chinese

“to shiver with cold or fear” in Chinese is凜lǐn

The character 凜 (lǐn) means to shiver or tremble, typically due to cold or fear. It is often used in literary contexts to convey a sense of dread or chilling atmosphere, making it evocative in poetry and storytelling.

When to use 凜

It's important to use 凜 in contexts that evoke strong emotions, particularly fear or extreme cold. Be cautious of its formal tone; it's not commonly used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include phrases describing chilling winds or fearful situations.

凜 or something close to it

凄 (qī) vs 悲 (bēi) — use 凜 for a sense of shivering or chilling fear, while 凄 conveys a sense of sorrow, and 悲 focuses on deep sadness.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 凜 with the similar-sounding 凉 (liáng), which also means 'cool' but lacks the emotional connotation. Remember that 凜 is more intense, often associated with shivering in fear or extreme cold.

Write 凜

凜

Practice writing 凜 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 凜

Words Containing This Character5
凛冽biting cold凜冽
凛lǐncold凜
大义凛然devotion to righteousness that inspires reverence (idiom)大義凜然
威风凛凛majestic威風凜凜
朔风凛冽The north wind is icy cold.朔風凜冽
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 凛冽 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 凜

The correct pronunciation is 'lǐn' with a third tone, which has a rising then falling pitch.

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