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呤 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
呤língpurinex, 8 strokes, radical 口
呤língpurine (chemistry)unknown, 8 strokes, radical 口
呤língto whisperunknown, 8 strokes, radical 口
呤lìngpurinex, 8 strokes, radical 口
呤lìngpurine (chemistry)unknown, 8 strokes, radical 口
呤lìngto whisperunknown, 8 strokes, radical 口
lìng(ling4)
primary
 T4
  1. 1purine
  2. 2purine (chemistry)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

呤lìng(ling4)

The character 呤 (lìng) primarily refers to a type of chemical compound known as purine, which is an essential building block of DNA and RNA. Additionally, it can mean 'to whisper,' indicating a soft or quiet manner of speaking. It is commonly used in scientific contexts as well as in everyday conversations about communication.

Strokes8Radical口
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of whispering carries a connotation of intimacy or secrecy, often seen in close relationships or confidential discussions, reflecting the importance of discretion in communication.

Memory Tip

Think of 呤 (lìng) as a whispering sound that lingers in the air. The character has the mouth radical '口' (kǒu), suggesting speaking, combined with the sound 'ling,' which can remind you of a gentle breeze or soft voice whispering secrets.

Meanings of 呤

lìng(ling4)
primary
1purine
2purine (chemistry)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 呤

呤Simplified
8Strokes
口Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 呤

JasonAmy

Podcast: 呤

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 呤

Usage Notes

This character is quite specialized and is more commonly encountered in scientific texts. Learners should be cautious about its pronunciation as it may be confused with similar-sounding characters. It is important to use the correct tone (fourth tone) to avoid miscommunication.

HSK Study Tips

While 呤 is not part of the official HSK levels, it can be useful to understand in contexts related to chemistry and biology. Students should focus on the pronunciation and the context in which it is used, especially in academic settings.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 呤 with similar-sounding characters like 灵 (líng), which means 'spirit' or 'quick.' It's important to remember the distinct meaning and pronunciation of each character to avoid confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 呤

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Etymology of 呤

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

mouth

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 呤

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

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

Want the full history of 呤? 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 呤?

Decomposition of 呤

IDS Structure⿰口令
呤Full Character
=
口kou3
left
令Ling2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 呤?

How to say purine in Chinese

“purine” in Chinese is呤líng

The character 呤 (lìng) primarily refers to a type of chemical compound known as purine, which is an essential building block of DNA and RNA. Additionally, it can mean 'to whisper,' indicating a soft or quiet manner of speaking. It is commonly used in scientific contexts as well as in everyday conversations about communication.

When to use 呤

This character is quite specialized and is more commonly encountered in scientific texts. Learners should be cautious about its pronunciation as it may be confused with similar-sounding characters. It is important to use the correct tone (fourth tone) to avoid miscommunication.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 呤 with similar-sounding characters like 灵 (líng), which means 'spirit' or 'quick.' It's important to remember the distinct meaning and pronunciation of each character to avoid confusion.

Write 呤

呤

Practice writing 呤 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 呤

Words Containing This Character5
呤lìngto whisper
嘌呤purine (loanword)
黄嘌呤xanthine黃嘌呤
腺嘌呤adenine nucleotide (A, pairs with thymine T 胸腺嘧啶 in DNA and with uracil U 尿嘧啶 in RNA)
鸟嘌呤guanine nucleotide (G, pairs with cytosine C 胞嘧啶 in DNA and RNA)鳥嘌呤
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 呤 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 呤

In casual contexts, 呤 can refer to whispering, so you might use it when discussing how someone speaks softly.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 呤?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.