Chinese word

灵魂

Pronunciation

Pinyinlíng hún

Meaning

  • nounsoul

Example

音乐触动了她的灵魂。yīn yuè chù dòng le tā de líng hún

The music touched her soul.

Illustration for 灵魂 (soul)

More examples

她的话触动了我灵魂深处。tā de huà chù dòng le wǒ líng hún shēn chù

Her words touched the depths of my soul.

Core concept

A person's nonphysical center of feeling, identity, and consciousness.

Common phrases

  • 灵魂伴侣líng hún bàn lǚ

    soulmate

  • 灵魂深处líng hún shēn chù

    depths of the soul

  • 唤醒灵魂huàn xǐng líng hún

    awaken the soul

  • 灵魂出窍líng hún chū qiào

    soul leaving the body

Similar words

精神jīng shén: A person's inner awareness, mental energy, or strength of will.
心xīn: A person's inner source of feelings and thoughts.

Definition in Chinese

指个体的内在精神、本质或意识部分，非物质且常带有情感与个性特征。zhǐ gè tǐ de nèi zài jīng shén běn zhì huò yì shí bù fèn fēi wù zhì qiě cháng dài yǒu qíng gǎn yǔ gè xìng tè zhēng

Word origin

The compound 灵魂 (línghún, "soul") joins 灵 (líng, "spirit") with 魂 (hún, "soul"), giving the word a clear focus on inner spiritual life.

Usage tips

  • English learners may expect a strongly religious meaning, but Chinese speakers also use this word for emotional depth and the defining quality of creative work.

Other meanings

  • spiritnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 灵魂伴侣líng hún bàn lǚsoulmatenoun
  • 灵魂人物líng hún rén wùcentral figurenoun

Word lists with this word