Meaning of 零
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- zero
- nought
- zero sign
- fractional
- fragmentary
- odd (of numbers)
- (placed between two numbers to indicate a smaller quantity followed by a larger one)
- fraction
How to use 零
零 (líng) means zero in numbers, phone numbers, years and temperatures, and it also means small or scattered, as in 零钱 (língqián) small change and 零食 (língshí) snacks. It is also read out in numbers to fill a gap, as in 一百零五 (yī bǎi líng wǔ) 105. Example: 今天零下五度。(Jīntiān língxià wǔ dù.) It is five degrees below zero today.
零 has the rain radical 雨 on top and 令 (lìng) below, which hints at the sound. Picture a few scattered raindrops falling, small and fragmentary, until there are zero left.
Common mistake: Learners often skip 零 when reading numbers with a gap, saying 一百五 for 105, but 一百五 means 150, so you must say 一百零五. Also do not confuse the bottom part 令 with 今 (jīn) when writing.
零 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.
零 líng · zero · 13 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
Related words
Words that share a character with 零.
| 零下 | líng xià | below zero (esp. temperature) |
| 零食 | língshí | snack; nibbles |
| 零钱 | língqián | change (of money); small change |
| 零件 | língjiàn | part; component |
| 孤零零 | gūlínglíng | lone; isolated and without help |
| 零花钱 | línghuāqián | pocket money; allowance |
| 零售 | língshòu | to retail; to sell in small quantities |
| 零用钱 | língyòngqián | pocket money; allowance |
| 零点 | língdiǎn | midnight; to order à la carte |
| 零号 | línghào | (slang) bottom (in a homosexual relationship) |
| 零星 | língxīng | fragmentary; piecemeal; in bits and pieces; sporadic; scattered |
| 凋零 | diāolíng | withered; wilted |
Questions about 零
What does 零 mean?
零 (líng) means "zero; nought" and is used as a numeral.
How do you write 零?
零 is made of 1 character: 零 (13 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 零 an HSK word?
Yes. 零 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I write 〇 instead of 零?
Yes. 〇 is commonly used in years and written dates, such as 二〇二四年. In formal amounts like prices or checks, 零 is used.
How do you say zero in phone numbers?
Say líng for each zero, so 010 is líng yāo líng. Note that 1 is often read yāo in phone numbers to avoid confusion with 7.