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孤零零 (gū líng líng) — all alone, solitary, isolated (often with a sense of desolation or pity)

Definition

A vivid, onomatopoeic-feeling adjective meaning 'all alone, desolate' — used in writing, often in a de- 地 phrase before a verb. Stronger and more visual than 孤单; 孤立 is usually about being cut off by others, not just being alone.

adjective
all alonesolitaryisolated (often with a sense of desolation or pity)

Examples

  • 孤零零。
    Tā yí gè rén gū líng líng dì zuò zài gōng yuán de cháng yǐ shàng.
    He sat all alone on the park bench.
  • 孤零零。
    Zhè zuò gū líng líng de xiǎo dǎo jī hū méi yǒu rén qù guò.
    This solitary little island has almost never been visited.
  • 孤零零，。
    Tā gǎn dào gū líng líng de, méi yǒu péng you zài shēn biān.
    She felt all alone, with no friends around.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

孤gūalone
零零
零líng零líng
重叠Reduplication

孤 (alone) with 零零 gives a vivid image of being all alone and unsupported.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
子子zǐchild
Sound part声符shēngfú
瓜
瓜guā孤gū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

孤 uses 子 (child) to show a child, and 瓜 to give the sound.

Open 孤 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng零líng
Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part gives the sound.

Open 零 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
雨雨yǔrain
Sound part声符shēngfú
令
令lìng零líng
Same sound today

In 零, the 雨 part depicts thick raindrops falling from the sky; the 令 part gives the sound.

Open 零 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Emotions & Feelings

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