How to Write 零 (líng) — Meaning “zero”

Imagine a rainy day where you count raindrops: the top part 雨 is 'rain', and the bottom 令 looks like a person with an umbrella. If you see zero raindrops hitting you, you can say 'zero rain' – helping you recall 零 means zero.

Write the top radical 雨 first, starting with the horizontal stroke, then the vertical, and then the four dots in order. Pay special attention to the bottom part 令: the first stroke of 令 is a left-falling slash (撇), and the final dot should be placed neatly under the horizontal line – common mistakes include making the dots too big or misaligning the bottom component.

All three share the 雨 radical, but 零 has 令 below and means 'zero'; 雪 has 彐 (hand-like) below and means 'snow'; 雩 has 于 below and is a rare character for an ancient rain prayer. Visually, 零 has a complete 'person with umbrella' shape, while 雪 has a squatting hand shape and 雩 has a simple T-like bottom.

零 is used for the number zero, as in phone numbers or temperature (e.g., 零下 'below zero'). It also appears in words like 零钱 (small change) and 零件 (spare parts). In Chinese culture, the number zero is considered neutral, but the character 零 is often avoided in auspicious contexts because it can imply 'nothing' or 'empty'.

Common words containing 零 include: 零钱 (líng qián) — small change / pocket money; 零件 (líng jiàn) — part / component; 零下 (líng xià) — below zero.