How to Write 霝 (líng) — Meaning “Raindrops; falling rain (archaic)”

Picture the rain radical 雨 above three open mouths (口口口) that are singing the sound "ling ling" – this matches the character's pronunciation and its meaning of falling rain with a gentle pattering noise. You can also imagine raindrops falling into each mouth to remember the three 口 components.

The most common mistake is making the lower part too tall or uneven – the three 口 should be compact and centered under the 雨 radical, with the top 口 slightly wider. Also remember to write the 雨 radical with all four dots inside the frame; each dot is a short stroke, not a line. Finally, the entire character has 17 strokes, so take care to keep the proportions balanced.

霝 (líng) means the sound or pattern of falling rain, and it contains three 口 shapes below 雨. In contrast, 霂 (mù) means light drizzle and has 木 (tree) under 雨, while 霄 (xiāo) means sky or clouds and has 肖 under 雨. Visually, 霝 looks more complex with multiple small squares, and it is much rarer than 霄, which is common in modern Chinese.

霝 is not part of the HSK vocabulary and is extremely rare in everyday modern Chinese. You might only encounter it in classical poetry, ancient texts, or calligraphy where it describes the sound and sight of rain falling. Occasionally, it appears in literary or artistic contexts to evoke an archaic, elegant feeling.

Common words containing 霝 include: 霝雨 (líng yǔ) — Falling rain (archaic); 霝霝 (líng líng) — Sound of falling rain; 霝衣 (líng yī) — Raincoat (archaic).