淋 meaning and stroke order
To sprinkle; to drip; to pour
How to write 淋, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 淋
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to sprinkle
- to drip
- to pour
- to drench
- to filter
- to strain
- to drain
- gonorrhea
- (TCM) strangury
How 淋 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 林 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 淋
淋 is water 氵 next to 林 (lín, woods), which also gives the sound. Picture rain pouring down through the woods and drenching everything under the trees.
淋 (lín) usually means getting wet from water falling on you, as in 淋雨 (línyǔ, to get caught in the rain) and 淋浴 (línyù, shower). It also appears in the everyday word 冰淇淋 (bīngqílín, ice cream). Example: 我昨天淋雨了。(Wǒ zuótiān lín yǔ le.) I got caught in the rain yesterday.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 淋 with 林 (lín, woods) because they sound identical. If the meaning involves water, such as rain, showers, or ice cream, remember to add the water radical 氵.
Common words with 淋
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
淋 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 淋
How many strokes are in 淋?
淋 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 淋 mean?
淋 (lín) means to sprinkle; to drip; to pour. A common word with it is 冰淇淋 (bīngqílín), meaning "ice cream".
How do you pronounce 淋?
淋 is pronounced lín, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 淋?
The radical of 淋 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 淋 under this radical.
Is 淋 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 淋 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 淋 and 浇 (jiāo)?
淋 often describes water falling on someone, like rain or a shower, so you can 被雨淋了 (bèi yǔ lín le, get rained on). 浇 (jiāo) is more about deliberately pouring water on something, like 浇花 (jiāo huā, water the flowers).
When is 淋 pronounced lìn instead of lín?
It is read lìn when it means to filter or strain, and in medical words like 淋病 (lìnbìng, gonorrhea). In Taiwan, 淋病 is often said as línbìng. Everyday words like 淋雨 and 冰淇淋 use lín.