Meaning of 龙
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- Chinese dragon; loong
- (fig.) emperor
- dragon
- (bound form) dinosaur
- surname Long
How to use 龙
龙 is the Chinese dragon, a lucky and powerful symbol tied to the emperor, rain, and the zodiac. It also appears in everyday words like 恐龙 (kǒnglóng, dinosaur) and 水龙头 (shuǐlóngtóu, faucet), and as a sound in loanwords like 尼龙 (nílóng, nylon). Example: 端午节我们去看龙舟比赛。(Duānwǔ jié wǒmen qù kàn lóngzhōu bǐsài.) We go watch the dragon boat races at the Dragon Boat Festival.
Picture 龙 (lóng) as a dragon in motion: the left side is its head and body rearing up, and the curling stroke on the right is its long tail whipping around. A dragon never sits still, and neither does this character.
Common mistake: Learners often write 龙 with the final hook going the wrong way or add an extra dot, confusing it with 尤 (yóu) or 尨. Also keep the second tone: lóng rises, while lǒng with a third tone is a different syllable, as in 拢 (lǒng, to gather).
龙 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.
龙 lóng · Chinese dragon · 5 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 龙.
| 恐龙 | kǒnglóng | dinosaur (CL:頭|头[tou2],隻|只[zhi1]); (old) (slang) ugly person |
| 沙龙 | shālóng | salon (loanword) |
| 水龙头 | shuǐlóngtóu | faucet; tap |
| 来龙去脉 | láilóng-qùmài | (lit.) the rise and fall of the terrain (idiom); (fig.) the whole sequence of events; caus |
| 尼龙 | nílóng | (loanword) nylon |
| 龙舟 | lóngzhōu | dragon boat; imperial boat |
| 跑龙套 | pǎo lóngtào | to play a small role |
| 画龙点睛 | huàlóng-diǎnjīng | to paint a dragon and dot in the eyes (idiom); fig. to add the vital finishing touch; the |
| 龙虾 | lóngxiā | lobster |
| 龙卷风 | lóngjuǎnfēng | tornado; hurricane |
| 龙舌兰 | lóngshélán | agave (genus of plants); (esp.) Agave americana; agave-based spirit; (esp.) tequila (disti |
| 飞龙 | fēilóng | dragon in flight; (fig.) (literary) person at the height of success |
Questions about 龙
What does 龙 mean?
龙 (lóng) means "Chinese dragon; loong; (fig.) emperor" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 龙?
龙 is made of 1 character: 龙 (5 strokes). That is 5 strokes in total.
Is 龙 an HSK word?
Yes. 龙 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 龙 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 龙 is written 龍.
Is the Chinese dragon 龙 the same as a Western dragon?
Not really. A Western dragon is often evil and breathes fire, while 龙 is usually kind, wise, and linked to water and good fortune. That is why some people use the English word loong for the Chinese one.
What does 望子成龙 mean?
望子成龙 (wàng zǐ chéng lóng) means parents hoping their child will become a dragon, that is, very successful. It shows how 龙 is used figuratively for someone outstanding.