(líng) — bell

Definition

Examples

  • Mén kǒu yǒu yì zhī xiǎo líng.
    There is a small bell at the door.
  • Shàng kè líng xiǎng le, wǒ men kuài huí jiào shì.
    The class bell rang, let's quickly return to the classroom.
  • Tā de zì xíng chē de líng hěn xiǎng.
    His bicycle's bell is very loud.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most 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 鈴; 铃 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
lìnglíng
Same sound today

The traditional form 鈴 pairs 金 (metal) with 令 as a sound part; the simplified 铃 is a later abbreviation, so its parts are not the historical components.

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