How to Write 龄 (líng) — Meaning “age; years”

Imagine a set of teeth (齿) with a number written on them, and the number represents your age. The right side 令 sounds like 'ling' which can remind you of 'long' – as you live longer, your age increases. This visual ties teeth, age, and sound together.

The left radical 齿 should be written with the top part first, then the inner 'teeth' strokes, and the outer box last. The right side 令 is often confused with 今 (jīn) – remember that 令 has a downward stroke followed by two dots, while 今 has a line and a dot. Keep the left and right sections balanced.

龄 means 'age' and is common in words like 年龄, whereas 龃 (jǔ) means 'uneven teeth' or 'disagreement' and 龅 (bāo) means 'protruding teeth'. Visually, 龄 has 令 on the right, while 龃 has 且 and 龅 has 包. These similar characters are rare and do not relate to age.

龄 appears in everyday terms like 年龄 (age), 工龄 (years of work), and 适龄 (of appropriate age, such as school-age). It is used in formal contexts like discussing retirement age or eligibility for school. Age is an important social concept in China, so this character shows up frequently in official forms and daily conversation.

Common words containing 龄 include: 年龄 (nián líng) — Age; 工龄 (gōng líng) — Seniority; length of service; 适龄 (shì líng) — of the right age; school-age.