Chinese word

铃

Pronunciation

Pinyinlíng

Meaning

  • nounbell

Example

手机的铃响了，他接了电话。shǒu jī de líng xiǎng le tā jiē le diàn huà

The bell on the phone rang, and he answered the phone.

Illustration for 铃 (bell)

More examples

下课后教室里的铃响了，大家都笑了。xià kè hòu jiào shì lǐ de líng xiǎng le dà jiā dōu xiào le

After class, the classroom bell rang, and everyone laughed.

Core concept

A small sound-maker whose vibration signals attention, from a hanging metal bell to an electronic alert.

Common phrases

  • 门铃mén líng

    doorbell

  • 手机铃声shǒu jī líng shēng

    phone ringtone

  • 铃响líng xiǎng

    bell rings

Similar words

门铃mén líng: An entrance bell that a visitor presses to let people inside know someone has arrived.
铃声líng shēng: The ringing sound produced by a bell or electronic alert.
钟zhōng: A large metal sound-maker used to mark the time or signal an event.
铃铛líng dāng: A little rounded metal bell that is hung up or shaken to make a sound.

Definition in Chinese

指能振动发声的金属小器，既可指挂在门上或身上的小铃，也可泛指电子设备的提示铃。zhǐ néng zhèn dòng fā shēng de jīn shǔ xiǎo qì jì kě zhǐ guà zài mén shàng huò shēn shàng de xiǎo líng yě kě fàn zhǐ diàn zi shè bèi de tí shì líng

Word origin

铃 (líng, "bell") combines 金 (jīn, "metal") + 令 (lìng, "command"), with 金 indicating the original metal object and 令 serving mainly as the sound-bearing part.

Usage tips

  • English often uses ring as a verb, whereas Chinese commonly uses 响 (xiǎng, "to sound") for the action, keeping the noun and the event distinct in everyday sentences.

Other meanings

  • ringtonenoun

Related words

Word lists with this word