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啉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
línstupid; slowx, 11 strokes, radical 口, Very Hard
lín(lin2) T2
  1. 1stupid; slow
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
lín(lin2)

The character 啉 (lín) is used to describe someone who is considered slow-witted or foolish. It can also refer to a specific compound, porphyrin, in scientific contexts, particularly in chemistry and biology. While not commonly used in everyday conversation, it may appear in literature or specialized texts.

Strokes11RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The term 啉 is less about daily life and more about academic or technical discussions, particularly in fields involving biochemistry and medicine, illustrating the connection between language and scientific exploration in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'lean' person struggling to keep up with a fast-paced conversation, representing someone who is slow in understanding. The character 啉 combines the mouth radical (口) indicating speech with the sound component 'lin', echoing the idea of someone who is slow to respond.

Meanings of 啉

lín(lin2)
1stupid; slow
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 啉

Simplified
11Strokes
Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 啉

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 啉

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a 'lean' person struggling to keep up with a fast-paced conversation, representing someone who is slow in understanding. The character 啉 combines the mouth radical (口) indicating speech with the sound component 'lin', echoing the idea of someone who is slow to respond.

Usage Notes

啉 is not commonly used in daily speech and may come off as overly formal or literary. Learners should be aware of its specific contexts, especially in scientific discussions. Common collocations include phrases related to chemistry, so one should focus on the appropriate contexts when using this character.

HSK Study Tips

While 啉 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, understanding it can enhance your knowledge of compound words and specialized vocabulary in science. Students at higher levels should focus on recognizing its usage in scientific texts and phrases.

Cultural Note

The term 啉 is less about daily life and more about academic or technical discussions, particularly in fields involving biochemistry and medicine, illustrating the connection between language and scientific exploration in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners may confuse 啉 with 笨 (bèn), which is more commonly used to describe foolishness. Instead of saying '你很啉' (nǐ hěn lín), which sounds unnatural, use '你很笨' (nǐ hěn bèn) for a clearer expression.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 啉

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Etymology of 啉

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

mouth

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 啉?

Decomposition of 啉

IDS Structure⿰口林
Full Character
=
kou3
left
Lin2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 啉?

Write 啉

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Cultural Notes for 啉

🏮Cultural insight

The term 啉 is less about daily life and more about academic or technical discussions, particularly in fields involving biochemistry and medicine, illustrating the connection between language and scientific exploration in Chinese culture.

Word Family of 啉

Words Containing This Character3
línsee 卟啉, porphyrin
卟啉porphyrin (organic chemical essential to hemoglobin and chlorophyll) (loanword)
喹啉quinoline C6H4(CH)3N (pharm.) (loanword)
Exercise 1 of 3

Compound Meaning

What does 啉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 啉

No, 啉 is rarely used in everyday speech and is more common in scientific texts.