Meaning of 令
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to order
- to command
- an order
- warrant
- writ
- to cause
- to make sth happen
- virtuous
- classifier for a ream of paper
- used in 脊令[ji2 ling2]
- used in 令狐[Ling2 hu2] (Taiwan pr. [ling4])
How to use 令
In modern Chinese 令 (lìng) most often means "to cause" or "to make" someone feel something, usually in formal or written style, as in 令人 + an adjective. It also appears in words about orders, like 命令 (mìnglìng) and 下令 (xiàlìng). Example: 这个消息令人高兴。(Zhège xiāoxi lìng rén gāoxìng.) This news makes people happy.
Picture a roof shape 人 on top with a kneeling person 卩 below it. Someone above gives the order, and the person kneeling below receives it.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 令 (lìng) with 今 (jīn, now). The bottom of 令 is a hook like 卩, while 今 ends with a short horizontal stroke and a turning stroke. Also, do not use 令 for casual "make" in speech. 让 (ràng) sounds more natural in everyday talk.
令 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
令 lìng · to order · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 令.
| 命令 | mìnglìng | order; command |
| 下令 | xiàlìng | to give an order; to issue an order |
| 指令 | zhǐlìng | to order; to command; an order; a command; an instruction |
| 司令 | sīlìng | commanding officer |
| 夏令营 | xiàlìngyíng | summer camp |
| 口令 | kǒulìng | oral command; a word of command (used in drilling troops or gymnasts) |
| 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) |
Questions about 令
What does 令 mean?
令 (lìng) means "to order; to command" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 令?
令 is made of 1 character: 令 (5 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 令 an HSK word?
Yes. 令 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 令 and 让 when they mean "to make"?
Both can mean "to make someone feel or do something." 令 is more formal and common in writing, especially in 令人 phrases like 令人失望 (lìng rén shīwàng, disappointing). 让 is the everyday spoken choice.
Why does 令 appear in polite words about other people's family?
令 also carries the old meaning "virtuous" or "good," so it is used as an honorific for someone else's relatives. For example, 令尊 (lìngzūn) means "your father" and 令爱 (lìng'ài) means "your daughter." These are formal and mostly found in writing or very polite speech.