琳 meaning and stroke order
A beautiful gemstone
How to write 琳, stroke by stroke
12 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 琳
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- gem
How 琳 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Jade.
王 gives the meaning and 林 hints at the sound.
Radical: 王 (king), shared by 104 characters on this site.
How to remember 琳
琳 combines 王, which here stands for jade (玉), with 林 (lín, forest), which gives the sound. Picture a forest full of glittering jade stones, and you have 琳, a beautiful gem.
琳 is rarely used alone in modern Chinese. It appears mostly in given names, especially for girls, and in transliterations of foreign names. Example: 她叫王琳。(Tā jiào Wáng Lín.) Her name is Wang Lin.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes confuse 琳 with 淋 (lín, to drench), which has the same sound but the water radical 氵 instead of 王. If the meaning is about jade or a name, use 琳. If it is about rain or pouring, use 淋.
Common words with 琳
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 玛德琳 | Mǎdélín | madeleine (French cake) |
琳 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 琳
How many strokes are in 琳?
琳 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 琳 mean?
琳 (lín) means a beautiful gemstone. A common word with it is 玛德琳 (Mǎdélín), meaning "madeleine (French cake)".
How do you pronounce 琳?
琳 is pronounced lín, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 琳?
The radical of 琳 is 王, which carries the idea of "king". Dictionaries list 琳 under this radical.
What does 琳琅满目 mean?
琳琅满目 (lín láng mǎn mù) is an idiom meaning a dazzling array of fine things fills the eyes. It is often used for shops or displays full of beautiful goods.
Why is 琳 used in foreign names like 玛德琳?
Its sound lín fits the 'lin' or 'line' syllable in names such as Madeleine or Caroline (卡罗琳). It is chosen because it sounds right and carries the pleasant meaning of a gem.