怜 (lián) — (bound form) to pity; to have compassion for
Definition
怜 (lián) is a bound form meaning 'to pity / have compassion for,' almost always paired with another character (e.g. 可怜, 怜悯, 怜惜) — you will rarely see it alone.
bound form
to pityto have compassion for
Easily confused
- 拎līnlook-aliketo carry in one's hand; to lift up (by a handle or strap)
- 连liánsound-alike(verb) to connect; to join; to link
- 伶línglook-alike(bound form) clever, intelligent
- 联liánsound-alike(bound form) to link, to connect (as in 联系, 联网)
- 泠línglook-alikecool and clear (literary, often used in compound words)
- 莲liánsound-alikelotus (Nelumbo nucifera)
Examples
- ，。Zhè zhī xiǎo māo hěn kě lián, méi rén zhào gù tā.This kitten is very pitiful — no one takes care of it.
- 。Tā duì qióng rén chōng mǎn le lián mǐn zhī xīn.He is full of compassion for the poor.
- 。Tā lián xī dì kàn le kàn shòu shāng de xiǎo niǎo.She looked at the injured bird with pity.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 憐; 怜 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
粦
粦lín憐lián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 憐 combines 心 (heart) with 粦, which gives it its sound; the simplified 怜 is a later shorthand, and its parts are not the historical components.
Appears in
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