líng
noun #13,929

Meanings

  1. 1 actor; actress
  2. 2 clever

Examples

Tā líng yá lì chǐ, shuōhuà hěn lìhai.
She has a sharp tongue and speaks with great skill.
Gǔdài de líng rén dìwèi hěn dī.
In ancient times, actors had very low social status.

Tips

usage
Mostly seen in set expressions: 伶俐 (clever/quick-witted), 伶牙俐齿 (sharp-tongued), 伶人 (actor in classical Chinese).

Components

radical
rén
person (radical form of 人)
Two-stroke person radical on the left, the side form of . means an actor or musician - historically the entertainers of the imperial court. The radical confirms membership in the person family with servant, actor, comedian - chars naming social roles.
phonetic
lìng
order; command
Right side supplies the sound - lìng shifting to líng with a simple tone change. Same phonetic appears in ridge, bell, age, zero, tinkling. The original referred to performers under royal command, so carries a faint historical echo.

Stroke Order

líng