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淩 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
淩língto cross, to traverse, to pass throughx, 11 strokes, radical 氵
líng(ling2) T2
  1. 1to cross, to traverse, to pass through
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

淩líng(ling2)

The character 淩 (líng) means to cross or traverse, often implying the action of passing through something, usually water. It is less commonly used than its variant 凌 (líng) but carries a similar meaning in contexts related to movement or transition across obstacles.

Strokes11Radical氵
Cultural Note

In Chinese poetry, water often symbolizes life and passage. The use of characters like 淩 highlights the cultural significance of water as a barrier and a pathway, reflecting the importance of nature in Chinese literature.

Memory Tip

Imagine a river (水) that you need to cross. The character 淩 looks like a person (亻) crossing over water (水), emphasizing the action of traversing. You can remember the pronunciation 'líng' by thinking of the sound of a bell ringing as you cross the river.

Meanings of 淩

líng(ling2)
1to cross, to traverse, to pass through
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 淩

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

Podcast: 淩

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Podcast: 淩

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AI Study Notes for 淩

Quick Contrast

凌 (líng) is often used in contexts implying elevation or being above something, while 淩 (líng) specifically emphasizes crossing or traversing, particularly through water.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tones when using 淩; the incorrect tone can lead to confusion with other characters. This character is more formal and rarely used in everyday conversation, often appearing in literary or poetic contexts.

HSK Study Tips

While 淩 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enhance comprehension of related words in advanced studies. Focus on its relationship with 凌 and practice using both in different contexts to deepen understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 淩 with similar-sounding characters due to tonal errors, such as saying 'lǐng' instead of 'líng'. Additionally, some may use it interchangeably with 凌 without recognizing the nuances in context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 淩

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Etymology of 淩

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

water

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 淩

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half夌 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 淩? 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 淩?

Decomposition of 淩

IDS Structure⿰氵夌
淩Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
夌ling2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 淩?

How to say to cross, to traverse, to pass through in Chinese

“to cross, to traverse, to pass through” in Chinese is淩líng

The character 淩 (líng) means to cross or traverse, often implying the action of passing through something, usually water. It is less commonly used than its variant 凌 (líng) but carries a similar meaning in contexts related to movement or transition across obstacles.

When to use 淩

Be cautious with the tones when using 淩; the incorrect tone can lead to confusion with other characters. This character is more formal and rarely used in everyday conversation, often appearing in literary or poetic contexts.

淩 or something close to it

凌 (líng) is often used in contexts implying elevation or being above something, while 淩 (líng) specifically emphasizes crossing or traversing, particularly through water.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 淩 with similar-sounding characters due to tonal errors, such as saying 'lǐng' instead of 'líng'. Additionally, some may use it interchangeably with 凌 without recognizing the nuances in context.

Write 淩

淩

Practice writing 淩 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 淩

Words Containing This Character1
淩língto approach
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 淩 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 淩

淩 is a variant of 凌, both meaning to cross or traverse, but 淩 is used in more specific contexts and is less common.

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