How to Write 陵 (líng) — Meaning “mausoleum or hill”

Picture a hill (the 阝 radical on the left) with a tall tower on top. The right side 夌 looks like a tower with legs—imagine an emperor's tomb tower standing on a hill. This image links to the meaning 'mausoleum'.

The left radical 阝 is written with a horizontal fold then a vertical curve—do not separate it into two strokes. On the right side, the bottom part is not '夕' but a crossed pattern: after the long vertical, add two slanted strokes crossing at the bottom. Pay attention to the stroke order: the right side's vertical stroke comes before the crossed lines.

邾 has the radical 阝 on the right and the left side is 朱, meaning a place name or surname, not related to hills. 郁 has 阝 on the left and 有 on the right, meaning fragrant or lush, often used for place names. In contrast, 陵 always relates to hills or tombs, and its right side 夌 is unique.

陵 appears in words like 丘陵 (hills) for geographical features and 陵园 (cemetery) for memorial parks. It is also used in historical names like 十三陵 (Ming Tombs), a famous tourist site near Beijing. Culturally, 陵 carries a formal, respectful tone when referring to imperial or ancient tombs.

Common words containing 陵 include: 丘陵 (qiū líng) — Hills; 陵园 (líng yuán) — cemetery or memorial park; 十三陵 (shí sān líng) — the Ming Tombs.