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仃 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
仃dīnglonely, solitaryx, 4 strokes, radical 亻
仃dīngaloneunknown, 4 strokes, radical 亻
dīng(ding1) T1
  1. 1lonely, solitary
  2. 2alone
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

仃dīng(ding1)

The character 仃 (dīng) refers to the concept of being lonely or solitary. It conveys a sense of isolation and is often used to describe someone who is by themselves or feels a lack of companionship. This word can be employed in both emotional and physical contexts, highlighting the experience of solitude.

Strokes4Radical亻
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of loneliness can be tied to themes of individualism versus collectivism. In traditional contexts, being solitary may be viewed with sympathy, especially in literature that highlights the struggles of solitary figures.

Memory Tip

Imagine a lone figure standing under a vast sky, symbolizing loneliness. The character 仃 is composed of the radical for person (亻) on the left, suggesting an individual, paired with a component that resembles a roof, indicating isolation. Picture this solitary person beneath the empty sky to remember 'dīng' means alone.

Meanings of 仃

dīng(ding1)
1lonely, solitary
2alone
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 仃

仃Simplified
4Strokes
亻Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 仃

JasonAmy

Podcast: 仃

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 仃

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 仃 with the more commonly used word 孤独 (gūdú) for loneliness. While both relate to solitude, 仃 is less formal and can imply a temporary state. Be cautious with tone; mispronouncing dīng can lead to confusion with other characters.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 0 word, 仃 is not included in the official HSK vocabulary lists but is useful for understanding concepts related to solitude. Focus on recognizing it in reading contexts and trying to use it in sentences about feelings of isolation.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes incorrectly use 仃 to describe physical isolation, but it is more about emotional states. For example, saying '我一个人在家仃' (wǒ yīgè rén zài jiā dīng) is incorrect; instead, say '我一个人在家' (wǒ yīgè rén zài jiā) to simply state 'I am alone at home.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 仃

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Etymology of 仃

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 丁 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

person

Semantic (meaning)亻
+
Phonetic (sound)丁
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 仃

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 丁 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half亻 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half丁 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayperson
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 仃? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 仃?

Decomposition of 仃

IDS Structure⿰亻丁
仃Full Character
=
亻ren2
left
丁Ding1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 仃?

How to say lonely, solitary in Chinese

“lonely, solitary” in Chinese is仃dīng

The character 仃 (dīng) refers to the concept of being lonely or solitary. It conveys a sense of isolation and is often used to describe someone who is by themselves or feels a lack of companionship. This word can be employed in both emotional and physical contexts, highlighting the experience of solitude.

When to use 仃

Learners often confuse 仃 with the more commonly used word 孤独 (gūdú) for loneliness. While both relate to solitude, 仃 is less formal and can imply a temporary state. Be cautious with tone; mispronouncing dīng can lead to confusion with other characters.

What learners get wrong

Learners sometimes incorrectly use 仃 to describe physical isolation, but it is more about emotional states. For example, saying '我一个人在家仃' (wǒ yīgè rén zài jiā dīng) is incorrect; instead, say '我一个人在家' (wǒ yīgè rén zài jiā) to simply state 'I am alone at home.'

Write 仃

仃

Practice writing 仃 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 仃

Words Containing This Character4
孤苦伶仃solitary and impoverished (idiom)
仃dīngalone
伶仃alone and helpless
瘦骨伶仃emaciated
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 孤苦伶仃 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 仃

No, 仃 is not frequently used in everyday speech; instead, people might use more common terms like 孤独 (gūdú) for loneliness.

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