Writing
灵 (líng) — how to say "spirit" in Chinese
灵
Spirit, soul; quick, effective
adjective · noun
Radicals / Keys
火
Fire
#86 · huǒ · 4 strokes
Collocations
不灵的刹车
bù líng de shā chē
brakes that don't work
Examples
这只小狗很灵，能听懂主人的话。
This little dog is very smart and can understand its owner's words.
这个办法很灵，我试过了。
This method works well, I've tried it.
Try remembering 灵
Three short exercises on meaning and pronunciation. Free, no sign-up needed.
Frequently asked questions
How to say spirit in Mandarin?
"spirit" in Chinese is 灵 (líng).
灵 meaning in English
灵 (líng) means "Spirit, soul; quick, effective".
灵 pronunciation
It is pronounced líng (written as ling). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
Spirit in Chinese character
It is written 灵 and has 7 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 灵?
灵 is on the HSK 3.0 levels 7–9 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
Tomyo
Learn Chinese words with spaced repetition
Add 灵 to your vocabulary and remember it with smart reviews, audio and examples.