The character 令 — “order”: how to write it and what it means

令
lìng

order; make, cause

5 strokes · HSK 5 · word page

The Chinese character 令 is read lìng and means “order; make, cause”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.

Stroke order: how to write 令

令 has 5 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.

To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 令, with strokes to trace and empty squares.

What 令 is made of

It hints at the sound of 龄, 铃, 领 and 零.

The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.

Words with 令

Frequently asked questions

How do you write the character 令?

令 has 5 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.

What does 令 mean?

令 means “order; make, cause”. It appears in 命令 (“order”), 夏令营 (“summer camp”).

How do you pronounce 令?

令 is read lìng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.

How many strokes does 令 have?

5 strokes.

← 旦 dawn仿 imitate →

More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.

Write 令 yourself

In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.

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