Definition
玲 is a bound morpheme that almost never appears alone; it is most commonly used in the compound 玲珑 (línglóng), which means 'exquisite, delicate, clever' — often describing small, finely crafted objects or a person's wit. It can also appear in onomatopoeic compounds like 玎玲 (dīnglíng) to imitate a tinkling sound, like small bells or jade pendants clinking. You will not encounter 玲 as a standalone word in modern Chinese.
char.
(in compound 玲珑 línglóng) exquisitedelicateclever(in onomatopoeia) tinkling sound of gems or bells
Examples
- 。Zhè kuài yùshí diāokè de shífēn línglóng.This piece of jade is exquisitely carved.
- ,。Tā dài de ěrhuán xiǎoqiǎo línglóng, fēicháng hǎokàn.The earrings she wears are small and exquisite, very pretty.
- 玎玲。Chuāngwài chuán lái fēnglíng de dīnglíng shēng.From outside the window came the tinkling sound of wind chimes.
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