Skip to content
Stroke order, etymology and audio for every word.Start learning
翎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
翎língplume, tail feathersn, 11 strokes, radical 羽, rank #66346, Very Hard
líng(ling2)ling T2
  1. 1plume, tail feathers
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

翎líng(ling2)

The character 翎 (líng) refers to the long, ornamental feathers or plumes of birds, particularly the tail feathers that are often colorful and vibrant. It is commonly used in contexts related to birds, fashion, and decoration, symbolizing beauty and elegance.

Strokes11Radical羽Frequency#66346DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In traditional Chinese culture, feathers, especially of certain birds, are often associated with auspiciousness and beauty, making them popular in art and decoration, particularly during celebrations.

Memory tip

Imagine a beautiful bird flaunting its long, colorful tail feathers, which are like a 'link' to nature's beauty. The character 翎 consists of the radical for feathers (羽) and the phonetic component 'ling' (灵), which can remind you of the graceful movement of a bird's plume.

Meanings of 翎

líng(ling2)
1plume, tail feathers
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 翎 means.

About 翎

翎Simplified
11Strokes
羽Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 翎

JasonAmy

Podcast: 翎

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 翎

Quick Contrast

羽 (yǔ) refers to feathers in general, while 翎 (líng) specifically denotes long, ornamental feathers or plumes.

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 翎 with other similar characters related to feathers, like 羽 (yǔ). This term is more formal and may be used in literary contexts rather than everyday conversations. Common collocations include phrases like '翎毛' (língmáo) meaning 'feather' and '翎羽' (língyǔ) for 'plumage'.

HSK Study Tips

Although 翎 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to HSK Level 3 words about animals and nature. Students should focus on recognizing the radicals and understanding its usage in descriptive contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 翎 with 羽, mistakenly using it in contexts where general feathers are discussed. For example, saying '我喜欢这个羽' (wǒ xǐhuān zhège yǔ) instead of '我喜欢这个翎' (wǒ xǐhuān zhège líng) when referring to a specific bird's plume.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 翎

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

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

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
Get Pro to unlock

Jason Explains 翎 to You

Let me explain 翎 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 翎 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

How Well Do You Know 翎?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 翎 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 翎

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

Phonosemantic compound. 羽 represents the meaning and 令 represents the sound.

Memory hint

plume

Semantic (meaning)羽
+
Phonetic (sound)令
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

翎 = 羽 + 令. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 翎

IDS Structure⿰令羽
翎Full character
=
令Ling2
left
羽yu3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 翎?

How to say plume, tail feathers in Chinese

“plume, tail feathers” in Chinese is翎líng

The character 翎 (líng) refers to the long, ornamental feathers or plumes of birds, particularly the tail feathers that are often colorful and vibrant. It is commonly used in contexts related to birds, fashion, and decoration, symbolizing beauty and elegance.

When to use 翎

Be cautious not to confuse 翎 with other similar characters related to feathers, like 羽 (yǔ). This term is more formal and may be used in literary contexts rather than everyday conversations. Common collocations include phrases like '翎毛' (língmáo) meaning 'feather' and '翎羽' (língyǔ) for 'plumage'.

翎 or something close to it

羽 (yǔ) refers to feathers in general, while 翎 (líng) specifically denotes long, ornamental feathers or plumes.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 翎 with 羽, mistakenly using it in contexts where general feathers are discussed. For example, saying '我喜欢这个羽' (wǒ xǐhuān zhège yǔ) instead of '我喜欢这个翎' (wǒ xǐhuān zhège líng) when referring to a specific bird's plume.

Write 翎

翎

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 翎?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 215 AI credits.

Word Family of 翎

Words containing this character3
翎língplume
翎子pheasant tail feathers on warriors' helmets (opera)
翎毛feather
Exercise 1 of 2

Words with 翎

What does 翎子 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 翎

You can say '这只鸟的翎很美' (zhè zhī niǎo de líng hěn měi), meaning 'The plumage of this bird is beautiful.'

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 翎?

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.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab