聆

líng

令 + 耳

Definitions

líng (literary) to hear; to listen

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 耳 represents the meaning and 令 represents the sound.

Semantic: 耳 Phonetic: 令

About

聆 is a phonosemantic compound that means to listen, hear, or pay close attention to an auditory stimulus. The left side, the ear radical 耳, points directly to the physical ear and the sensory act of hearing, while the right-side component 令 (lìng) provides its pronunciation. Throughout its history, the character has carried a formal, respectful, or literary tone, in contrast to the everyday verb 听 (tīng) used for ordinary hearing. It is reserved for attentive, deliberate, or deferential listening, for instance, when receiving instructions or appreciating a performance, rather than for merely perceiving ambient sounds.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

请聆听我的故事。

Qǐng língtīng wǒ de gùshì.

Please listen to my story.

他聆听雨声。

Tā língtīng yǔshēng.

He listens to the sound of rain.

我们聆听自然的声音。

Wǒmen língtīng zìrán de shēngyīn.

We listen to the sounds of nature.

每天晚上她都聆听广播。

Měitiān wǎnshàng tā dōu língtīng guǎngbō.

Every evening she listens to the radio.

聆听他人意见能帮助我们成长。

Língtīng tārén yìjiàn néng bāngzhù wǒmen chéngzhǎng.

Listening to others' opinions can help us grow.

他恭敬地聆听了教授的教诲。

Tā gōngjìng de língtīng le jiàoshòu de jiàohuì.

He respectfully listened to the professor's teachings.

在会议上大家认真聆听了报告。

Zài huìyì shàng dàjiā rènzhēn língtīng le bàogào.

At the meeting, everyone seriously listened to the report.

聆听内心的声音才能找到真正的自己。

Língtīng nèixīn de shēngyīn cáinéng zhǎodào zhēnzhèng de zìjǐ.

Listening to the inner voice is how one can find the true self.

Related Characters

Component: 令

Component: 耳

聆