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叮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
叮dīngsting (of mosquito, bee etc)zg, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
叮dīngto say repeatedlyzg, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
叮dīngto urge insistentlyzg, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
叮dīngto ask repeatedlyzg, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
叮dīngto stick to a pointzg, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
叮dīng(onom.) tinkling or jingling soundzg, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
叮dīngto persistently exhort or urge; sting (as of an insect)zg, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
叮dīngto sting or bite (of mosquito, bee etc)unknown, 5 strokes, radical 口, rank #5676, Hard
dīng(ding1)ding T1
  1. 1sting (of mosquito, bee etc)
  2. 2to say repeatedly
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March 24, 2026

叮dīng(ding1)

The character 叮 (dīng) primarily refers to the sound of a tinkle or jingle, often associated with small, sharp sounds like a bell or a ping. It can also denote the action of urging or insisting on a point, similar to asking someone repeatedly to pay attention or take action. This dual meaning makes it useful in both auditory descriptions and conversational contexts.

Strokes5Radical口Frequency#5676DifficultyHard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the sound associated with 叮 often evokes images of traditional bells or chimes that signify important moments, such as the beginning of ceremonies or celebrations. This character can be associated with the idea of drawing attention to something significant.

Memory tip

Imagine a tiny bell that goes 'ding!' every time someone wants to get your attention. The character 叮 looks like a person urging another (the top component) while the bottom represents the sound itself. Visualize a persistent mosquito buzzing around, making that 'ding' sound as it tries to get your attention to sting you!

Meanings of 叮

dīng(ding1)
1sting (of mosquito, bee etc)
2to say repeatedly
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 叮

叮Simplified
5Strokes
口Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#5676Frequency Rank

Podcast: 叮

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Podcast: 叮

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AI study notes for 叮

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 叮 with similar-sounding characters like 丁 (dīng), which has completely different meanings. It is generally informal and used in conversational contexts, so avoid using it in formal writing. Common collocations include 叮嘱 (dīngzhǔ), meaning to exhort or urge someone repeatedly.

HSK Study Tips

While 叮 is not in the official HSK levels, it can be linked to other HSK vocabulary related to sound and urging. Students should focus on recognizing its sound-related nuances and practice using it in sentences to express insistence or sound descriptions.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 叮 with 丁 (dīng) due to similar pronunciation, leading to mistakes in meaning. For example, saying '我叮你' (I ding you) instead of '我叮嘱你' (I urge you) can change the intent of the message.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 叮

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Etymology of 叮

Formation typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 丁 represents the sound.

Memory hint

mouth

Semantic (meaning)口
+
Phonetic (sound)丁
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

叮 = 口 + 丁. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 叮

IDS Structure⿰口丁
叮Full character
=
口kou3
left
丁Ding1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 叮?

How to say sting (of mosquito, bee etc) in Chinese

“sting (of mosquito, bee etc)” in Chinese is叮dīng

The character 叮 (dīng) primarily refers to the sound of a tinkle or jingle, often associated with small, sharp sounds like a bell or a ping. It can also denote the action of urging or insisting on a point, similar to asking someone repeatedly to pay attention or take action. This dual meaning makes it useful in both auditory descriptions and conversational contexts.

When to use 叮

Be cautious not to confuse 叮 with similar-sounding characters like 丁 (dīng), which has completely different meanings. It is generally informal and used in conversational contexts, so avoid using it in formal writing. Common collocations include 叮嘱 (dīngzhǔ), meaning to exhort or urge someone repeatedly.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 叮 with 丁 (dīng) due to similar pronunciation, leading to mistakes in meaning. For example, saying '我叮你' (I ding you) instead of '我叮嘱你' (I urge you) can change the intent of the message.

Write 叮

叮

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

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Grammar patterns of 叮

叮 carries 8 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

大量刚裂开的玻璃碎片____叮当当地落到地板上。

A fresh cascade of splintered glass tinkled to the floor.

Example sentences for 叮 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
大量刚裂开的玻璃碎片叮叮当当地落到地板上。

dàliàng gāng liè kāi de bōli suì piàn dīng dīng dāng dāngdì là dào dìbǎn shàng。

A fresh cascade of splintered glass tinkled to the floor.
2
布赖恩把手插进口袋里,把几枚硬币拨弄得叮当作响。

bù lài ēn bǎshou chā jìnkǒu dài lǐ, bǎ jǐ méi yìngbì bō nòng de dīng dàngzuò xiǎng。

Brian put his hands in his pockets and jingled some change.
3
她的珠子项链和手镯在她走动时叮当作响。

tā de zhū zi xiàngliàn hé shǒu zhuó zài tā zǒu dòng shí dīng dàngzuò xiǎng。

Her bead necklaces and bracelets jangled as she walked.
4
我们漫步经过泉水叮咚的喷泉和芬芳四溢的花园。

wǒmen màn bù jīngguò quán shuǐ dīng dōng de pēnquán hé fēnfāng sì yì de huāyuán。

We strolled past tinkling fountains and perfumed gardens.
5
随着门铃叮当作响,埃米醒来了。

suízhe ménlíng dīng dàngzuò xiǎng, āi mǐ xǐnglái le。

Amy woke up to the sound of her doorbell ringing.
6
当斯考比在桌前往身后一靠,开始拨电话号码的时候,挂在墙上的锈迹斑驳的手铐发出叮零零的响声.

dāng Sī kǎo bǐ zài zhuō qiánwǎng shēn hòu yī kào, kāishǐ bō diànhuà hàomǎ de shíhou, guà zài qiáng shàng de xiù jì bān bó de shǒu kào fāchū dīng líng líng de xiǎngshēng.

The rusty handcuffs jangled on the wall as Scobie leant back from his desk and dialled.
7
如果六便士的硬币不用来买糖吃, 这些硬币便会在储蓄罐里叮零当啷地响上几个月.

rúguǒ liù biàn shì de yìngbì búyòng lái mǎi táng chī, zhèxiē yìngbì biàn huì zài chǔxù guàn lǐ dīng líng dāng lāng dì xiǎng shàng jǐ gè yuè.

If sixpences are not exchanged for sweets, they rattle for months inside money - boxes.
8
防蚊叮咬好说难做。

fáng wén dīng yǎo hǎoshuō nán zuò。

Avoiding mosquito bites is easier said than done.
9
空威士忌酒瓶碰到座位上,叮当作响。

kōng wēi shì jì jiǔ píng pèngdào zuòwèi shàng, dīng dàngzuò xiǎng。

The empty whisky bottle clinked against the seat.
10
他们也许穷得叮当响,但他们至少拥有一种不同的生活方式。

tāmen yěxǔ qióng de dīng dāng xiǎng, dàn tāmen zhìshǎo yōngyǒu yī zhǒng bùtóng de shēnghuó fāngshì。

They might not have two cents to rub together, but at least they have a kind of lifestyle that is different.

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Word Family of 叮

Words containing this character10
叮dīngto say repeatedly
叮当dīngdāng(onom.) ding dong叮噹
叮嘱dīngzhǔto urge叮囑
叮咚dīngdōng(onom.) ding dong
叮叮dīngdīng(onom.) tinkling or jingling sound
叮咬dīngyǎosting
叮咛dīngníngto warn叮嚀
叮叮当当dīngdīngdāngdāng(onom.) ding dong叮叮噹噹
千叮万嘱qiāndīngwànzhǔrepeatedly urging千叮萬囑
苍蝇不叮无缝蛋cāngyingbùdīngwúfèngdànfig. no smoke without a fire蒼蠅不叮無縫蛋
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 叮

What does 叮当 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 叮

It typically implies urging someone to pay attention or to repeatedly ask about something.

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