The character 零 — “zero”: how to write it and what it means
zero
The Chinese character 零 is read líng and means “zero”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 零
零 has 13 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 零, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 零 is made of
On top, 雨 “rain”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 零
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 零?
零 has 13 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 零 mean?
零 means “zero”. It appears in 零食 (“snacks”), 零钱 (“change”), 零下 (“below zero”), 零花钱 (“pocket money”).
How do you pronounce 零?
零 is read líng. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 零 have?
13 strokes.
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 零 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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