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膺 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
膺yīngbreast, chest; to bear, to undertakevg, 17 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #47323, Very Hard
膺yīngreceiveunknown, 17 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #47323, Very Hard
yīng(ying1) T1
  1. 1breast, chest; to bear, to undertake
  2. 2receive
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

膺yīng(ying1)

The character 膺 (yīng) primarily means 'breast' or 'chest' and can also convey the idea of 'to bear' or 'to undertake.' It is often used in literary or formal contexts, particularly in phrases related to physical or metaphorical bearing, such as responsibilities or burdens.

Strokes17Radical⺼Frequency#47323DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

The concept of 'bearing' is often associated with virtues in Chinese culture, where one is expected to bear responsibilities with honor and dignity, especially in familial and societal contexts.

Memory Tip

Imagine a strong warrior (the radical 肉, meaning 'meat' or 'flesh') proudly displaying his chest (膺) as he undertakes a daunting challenge. The sound 'yīng' can be linked to 'yank,' as in pulling on one's strength from the chest.

Meanings of 膺

yīng(ying1)
1breast, chest; to bear, to undertake
2receive
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 膺

膺Simplified
17Strokes
⺼Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 膺

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Podcast: 膺

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AI Study Notes for 膺

Usage Notes

膺 is a formal term and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with related terms like 胸 (xiōng), which is more commonly used for 'chest.' Additionally, ensure proper tone pronunciation, as mispronouncing it can lead to misunderstanding.

HSK Study Tips

While 膺 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, it can be useful for learners at more advanced levels to understand literary texts. Focus on recognizing its components and usage in classical literature to enhance reading comprehension.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 膺 with 胸, using 膺 in place of 胸 in casual speech. For example, saying '我的膺很大' (Wǒ de yīng hěn dà) instead of '我的胸很大' (Wǒ de xiōng hěn dà) is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 膺

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Etymology of 膺

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

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 䧹 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

flesh

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 膺

Phonosemantic compound. ⺼ represents the meaning and 䧹 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half⺼ carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half䧹 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayflesh
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 膺? 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 膺?

Decomposition of 膺

IDS Structure⿸䧹⺼
膺Full Character
=
䧹ying1
enclosing
⺼rou4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 膺?

How to say breast, chest; to bear, to undertake in Chinese

“breast, chest; to bear, to undertake” in Chinese is膺yīng

The character 膺 (yīng) primarily means 'breast' or 'chest' and can also convey the idea of 'to bear' or 'to undertake.' It is often used in literary or formal contexts, particularly in phrases related to physical or metaphorical bearing, such as responsibilities or burdens.

When to use 膺

膺 is a formal term and may not be commonly used in everyday conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with related terms like 胸 (xiōng), which is more commonly used for 'chest.' Additionally, ensure proper tone pronunciation, as mispronouncing it can lead to misunderstanding.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 膺 with 胸, using 膺 in place of 胸 in casual speech. For example, saying '我的膺很大' (Wǒ de yīng hěn dà) instead of '我的胸很大' (Wǒ de xiōng hěn dà) is incorrect.

Write 膺

膺

Practice writing 膺 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 膺

Words Containing This Character4
膺yīngbreast
义愤填膺righteous indignation fills one's breast (idiom); to feel indignant at injustice義憤填膺
服膺to bear in mind
膺选to be elected膺選
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 膺 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 膺

No, it is a more formal or literary term and is not commonly used in casual dialogue.

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