How to Write 羚 (líng) — Meaning “antelope”

Imagine a sheep (羊) that follows commands (令) — this sheep is so well-trained it becomes an antelope. The right part 令 looks like a person giving orders, and the left part 羊 reminds you it is an animal, so the whole character means 'antelope'.

The left component 羊 should be written slightly narrower and taller than the right side 令. Pay special attention to the dot on top of 令 — it is easy to forget, and without it the character would be incomplete.

羍 (dá) is an ancient, rarely used character for a type of sheep, while 美 (měi) means 'beautiful' and combines 羊 with 大 (big). Visually, 羚 has 令 on the right, 羍 has 大 below 羊, and 美 stacks 羊 on top of 大. Their meanings and usage are completely different.

羚 is most commonly seen in the word 羚羊 (líng yáng, antelope) and in specific names like 藏羚羊 (cáng líng yáng, Tibetan antelope), an endangered species from the Tibetan Plateau. Its horn, 羚羊角, is used in traditional Chinese medicine for its cooling properties.

Common words containing 羚 include: 羚羊 (líng yáng) — antelope; 藏羚羊 (cáng líng yáng) — Tibetan antelope; 羚羊角 (líng yáng jiǎo) — antelope horn.