令 meaning and stroke order
To order; to command; an order
How to write 令, stroke by stroke
5 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Meaning of 令
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to order
- to command
- an order
- warrant
- writ
- to cause
- classifier for a ream of paper
- used in 脊令[ji2 ling2]
- used in 令狐[Ling2 hu2] (Taiwan pr. [ling4])
How 令 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A person kneeling before a master 人.
Radical: 人 (man), shared by 30 characters on this site.
How to remember 令
The top of 令 is a roof-like 人 shape, and the bottom shows a person kneeling. Picture someone kneeling under a master to receive an order, and you have 令 (lìng), a command.
令 appears in words about orders, like 命令 (mìnglìng) and 下令 (xiàlìng). It is also very common in the pattern 令人 + feeling, meaning "to make one feel" something. Example: 这个消息令人高兴。(Zhège xiāoxi lìng rén gāoxìng.) This news makes people happy.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 令 with 今 (jīn, now). 令 ends with a bent stroke going down on the bottom, while 今 ends with a short turning stroke and has a dot-like line above it. Also, in 令人 do not add 得 after 人. Say 令人感动, not 令人得感动.
Common words with 令
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 命令 | mìnglìng | order; command | HSK 5 |
| 下令 | xiàlìng | to give an order; to issue an order | HSK 7-9 |
| 指令 | zhǐlìng | to order; to command; an order; a command; an instruction | HSK 7-9 |
| 司令 | sīlìng | commanding officer | HSK 7-9 |
| 夏令营 | xiàlìngyíng | summer camp | HSK 7-9 |
| 口令 | kǒulìng | oral command; a word of command (used in drilling troops or gymnasts) | HSK 7-9 |
| 令人 | lìngrén | to cause one (to do sth); to make one (angry, delighted etc) | |
| 司令官 | sīlìngguān | commander; officer in charge | |
| 司令部 | sīlìngbù | headquarters; military command center | |
| 法令 | fǎlìng | decree; ordinance | |
| 先令 | xiānlìng | (loanword) shilling | |
| 发号施令 | fāhàoshīlìng | to boss people around (idiom) | |
| 令尊 | lìngzūn | Your esteemed father (honorific) | |
| 禁令 | jìnlìng | prohibition; ban |
令 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 令
Learning 令 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 令
How many strokes are in 令?
令 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 令 mean?
令 (lìng) means to order; to command; an order. A common word with it is 命令 (mìnglìng), meaning "order; command".
How do you pronounce 令?
令 is pronounced lìng, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 令?
The radical of 令 is 人, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 令 under this radical.
Is 令 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 令 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 令 and 让 when they mean "to make"?
Both can mean to cause someone to feel or do something. 让 (ràng) is everyday spoken Chinese, while 令 sounds more formal and written. 令人 is especially common before adjectives like 失望 or 满意.
Why does 令 appear in 夏令营 and words like 令尊?
In 夏令营 (xiàlìngyíng), 令 refers to a season or period, so it means a summer camp. In polite older forms like 令尊 (your father), 令 is an honorific meaning "your esteemed."