Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
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) T1
  1. 1sting (of mosquito, bee etc)
  2. 2to say repeatedly
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
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

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 叮

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

Podcast: 叮

JasonAmy

Podcast: 叮

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 叮

Memory Mnemonic

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!

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.

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.

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

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 叮 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 叮?

Decomposition of 叮

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

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 叮?

Write 叮

叮

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

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.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

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。

dà liáng gāng liè kāi de bō lí suì piàn dīng dīng dāng dāng dì luò dào dì bǎn 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 bǎ shǒu chā jìn kǒu dài lǐ， ， bǎ jī méi yìng bì bō nòng dé dīng dāng zuò。

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 zǐ xiàng liàn hé shǒu zhuó zài tā zǒu dòng shí dīng dāng zuò 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。

wǒ mén màn bù jīng guò quán shuǐ dīng dōng de pēn quán hé fēn fāng sì yì de huā yuán。

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

suí zháo mén líng dīng dāng zuò xiǎng， ， āi mǐ xǐng lái。

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 qián wǎng shēn hòu yī kào, , kāi shǐ bō diàn huà hào mǎ de shí, hòu , guà zài qiáng shàng de xiù jì bān bó de shǒu kào fā chū dīng líng líng de.

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.

rú guǒ liù biàn shì de yìng bì bù yòng lái mǎi táng chī, , zhè xiē yìng bì biàn huì zài chǔ xù guàn lǐ dīng líng dāng lāng dì xiǎng shàng jī gè.

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 hǎo shuō 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 pèng dào zuò wèi shàng， ， dīng dāng zuò。

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。

tā mén yě xǔ qióng dé dīng dāng xiǎng， ， dàn tā mén zhì shǎo yōng yǒu yī zhǒng bù tóng de shēng huó fāng。

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

Cultural Notes for 叮

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 叮

Words Containing This Character10
叮dīngto say repeatedly
叮当(onom.) ding dong叮噹
叮嘱dīngzhǔto urge叮囑
叮咚(onom.) ding dong
叮叮(onom.) tinkling or jingling sound
叮咬sting
叮咛to warn叮嚀
叮叮当当(onom.) ding dong叮叮噹噹
千叮万嘱repeatedly urging千叮萬囑
苍蝇不叮无缝蛋fig. no smoke without a fire蒼蠅不叮無縫蛋
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 叮 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 叮

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