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鈴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
鈴língsmall bellzg, 13 strokes, radical 釒
líng(ling2) T2
  1. 1small bell
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

鈴líng(ling2)

The character 鈴 (líng) refers to a small bell, commonly used in various contexts such as decorations, ceremonial purposes, or notifications. It often evokes a sense of lightness and sound, associated with jingling or ringing. In daily life, you might encounter this character when discussing music, festivals, or traditional Chinese instruments.

Strokes13Radical釒
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, bells are often associated with auspiciousness and are commonly used in traditional ceremonies and festivals. For example, the sound of bells can symbolize harmony and joy during celebrations like the Lunar New Year.

Memory Tip

Imagine a tiny bell (鈴) that jingles 'ling' when shaken. The character 鈴 is made up of the metal radical (金) on the left, hinting at its material (often made of metal), and the phonetic component '玲' that sounds like 'líng'. Picture a small, shiny metal bell that you can hear ringing in a festive setting.

Meanings of 鈴

líng(ling2)
1small bell
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 鈴

鈴Simplified
13Strokes
釒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 鈴

JasonAmy

Podcast: 鈴

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 鈴

Usage Notes

Be careful with the tone when pronouncing 鈴; it should be pronounced with a rising tone (líng). This character is generally used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal settings when discussing music or traditional items. Common collocations include 鈴聲 (líng shēng, 'bell sound') and 鈴鐺 (líng dāng, 'bell').

HSK Study Tips

Although 鈴 is not in the HSK levels, it connects to HSK vocabulary about objects and sounds, especially those related to music or celebrations. Students at this level should focus on recognizing the character's components and its pronunciation, as well as learning similar sound-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is confusing 鈴 with similar-sounding characters. For example, students might accidentally say 'lǐng' instead of 'líng'. Remember that the correct pronunciation has a rising tone, which is essential for clarity.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 鈴

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Etymology of 鈴

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

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 令 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈴.

Memory Hint

bell

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 鈴

Phonosemantic compound. 钅 represents the meaning and 令 represents the sound. Simplified form of 鈴.

  1. 1The meaning half釒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half令 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaybell
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 鈴? 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 鈴?

Decomposition of 鈴

IDS Structure⿰釒令
鈴Full Character
=
釒jin1
left
令Ling2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 鈴?

How to say small bell in Chinese

“small bell” in Chinese is鈴líng

The character 鈴 (líng) refers to a small bell, commonly used in various contexts such as decorations, ceremonial purposes, or notifications. It often evokes a sense of lightness and sound, associated with jingling or ringing. In daily life, you might encounter this character when discussing music, festivals, or traditional Chinese instruments.

When to use 鈴

Be careful with the tone when pronouncing 鈴; it should be pronounced with a rising tone (líng). This character is generally used in informal contexts, but can also appear in formal settings when discussing music or traditional items. Common collocations include 鈴聲 (líng shēng, 'bell sound') and 鈴鐺 (líng dāng, 'bell').

What learners get wrong

A common mistake is confusing 鈴 with similar-sounding characters. For example, students might accidentally say 'lǐng' instead of 'líng'. Remember that the correct pronunciation has a rising tone, which is essential for clarity.

Write 鈴

鈴

Practice writing 鈴 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 鈴

Words Containing This Character17
铃líng(small) bell鈴
铃声língshēngring鈴聲
马铃薯potato馬鈴薯
门铃ménlíngdoorbell門鈴
铃铛little bell鈴鐺
铃木Suzuki (Japanese surname)鈴木
警铃alarm bell警鈴
哑铃dumbbell (weight)啞鈴
杠铃gànglíngbarbell槓鈴
掩耳盗铃to deceive oneself掩耳盜鈴
五十铃Isuzu五十鈴
电铃diànlíngelectric bell電鈴
棉铃cotton boll (fruit)棉鈴
铃兰lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)鈴蘭
车铃bicycle bell車鈴
解铃还须系铃人fig. whoever started the trouble should end it解鈴還須繫鈴人
红铃虫pink bollworm紅鈴蟲
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 铃 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 鈴

鈴 means 'small bell' in English, often referring to decorative or functional bells.

Jason Recommends

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