Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
怜(憐)lián(lian2)
The character 怜 (lián) means 'to pity' or 'to sympathize with.' It is often used in contexts where one feels compassion or sorrow for someone's misfortune. This term carries a sense of emotional connection and caring towards others' suffering.
Strokes8Radical忄Frequency#15337DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, expressing pity or sympathy is often tied to social harmony and collective responsibility, reflecting the importance of community and support in times of distress.
Memory Tip
Imagine a heart (representing compassion) wrapped in a gentle embrace, symbolizing the act of sympathizing. The left part of the character (忄) relates to emotions, while the right part (怜) sounds like 'lián,' resembling 'leaning in' to show care towards someone in need.
Meanings of 怜
lián(lian2)
1to pity
2to pity, to sympathize with
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 怜
怜Simplified
憐Traditional
8Strokes
忄Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#15337Frequency Rank
Podcast: 怜
Podcast: 怜
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 怜
Quick Contrast
怜 (lián) vs 爱 (ài) — use 怜 when emphasizing compassion for someone's misfortune, while 爱 expresses a broader sense of love or affection.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 怜 with similar words like 爱 (ài, love) or 同情 (tóngqíng, to sympathize), which can lead to misunderstandings. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, but be cautious with tone, as mispronouncing it could change the meaning.
HSK Study Tips
Although 怜 is not specifically listed in HSK levels, it connects to themes of emotions and relationships found in HSK Level 4 vocabulary. Students should focus on contextually using it in sentences about feelings or support.
Common Mistakes
Learners may mistakenly use 怜 in contexts that are too casual, such as with friends, where a lighter term like 同情 might be more appropriate. For example, saying '我怜你' (Wǒ lián nǐ) to a friend could sound overly serious.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 怜
Premium — Locked
AI tone practice
Pro
Drill the tone of 怜 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Phonosemantic compound. 忄 represents the meaning and 令 represents the sound. Simplified form of 憐.
1The meaning half忄 carries the sense.
2The sound half令 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayheart
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 怜? 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 怜?
Decomposition of 怜
IDS Structure⿰忄令
怜Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
令Ling2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 怜?
How to say to pity in Chinese
“to pity” in Chinese is怜lián
The character 怜 (lián) means 'to pity' or 'to sympathize with.' It is often used in contexts where one feels compassion or sorrow for someone's misfortune. This term carries a sense of emotional connection and caring towards others' suffering.
When to use 怜
Learners often confuse 怜 with similar words like 爱 (ài, love) or 同情 (tóngqíng, to sympathize), which can lead to misunderstandings. It's used in both formal and informal contexts, but be cautious with tone, as mispronouncing it could change the meaning.
怜 or something close to it
怜 (lián) vs 爱 (ài) — use 怜 when emphasizing compassion for someone's misfortune, while 爱 expresses a broader sense of love or affection.
What learners get wrong
Learners may mistakenly use 怜 in contexts that are too casual, such as with friends, where a lighter term like 同情 might be more appropriate. For example, saying '我怜你' (Wǒ lián nǐ) to a friend could sound overly serious.
Write 怜
怜
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 怜 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 怜
怜 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
同病相怜fellow sufferers empathize with each other (idiom); misery loves company同病相憐
可怜巴巴pathetic可憐巴巴
爱怜to coo over愛憐
怜香惜玉to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex (idiom)憐香惜玉
乞怜to beg for pity乞憐
顾影自怜fig. alone and dejected顧影自憐
哀怜to pity on哀憐
怜恤to take pity憐恤
惜香怜玉to have tender, protective feelings for the fairer sex (idiom)惜香憐玉
乞哀告怜begging for pity and asking for help (idiom)乞哀告憐
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 可怜 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 怜
怜 is not commonly used in everyday conversation but may appear in literary or formal contexts. It's often associated with expressing deep sympathy or compassion, so it may be used in discussions about emotional topics.
Synonyms for 怜 include 同情 (tóngqíng), which means 'to sympathize', and 爱怜 (àilián), which means 'to love and pity'. These words also convey similar feelings of compassion and empathy.
怜 (lián) means 'to pity' or 'to sympathize with'. It is often used to express feelings of compassion towards someone who is suffering or in need. This character conveys a sense of emotional connection and empathy.
You can use 怜 in a sentence to express compassion, as in '我怜他' (wǒ lián tā), which means 'I pity him'. It can also be used in a more poetic context, such as '怜惜' (liánxī), meaning 'to cherish or treasure'.
You can say '我对她感到怜悯' (Wǒ duì tā gǎndào liánmǐn), which means 'I feel pity for her.'
While both mean to sympathize, 怜 implies a deeper emotional connection or compassion, whereas 同情 is more neutral and can refer to understanding another's situation.
Jason Recommends
Not sure what to learn after 怜?
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.
