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楞 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
楞léngused for Ceylon in Buddhist textszg, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞léngsquare beamunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞léngto look distractedunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞léngedgeunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞léngto stare blanklyunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞léngarris (curve formed by two surfaces meeting at an edge)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞léngdistractedunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞léngblankunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngused for Ceylon in Buddhist textszg, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngsquare beamunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngto look distractedunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngedgeunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngto stare blanklyunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngarris (curve formed by two surfaces meeting at an edge)unknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngdistractedunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
楞lèngblankunknown, 13 strokes, radical 木, rank #32645, Very Hard
léng(leng2)
primary
 T2
  1. 1used for Ceylon in Buddhist texts
  2. 2square beam
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

楞léng(leng2)

The character 楞 (léng) has various meanings, including a reference to Ceylon in Buddhist texts and a variant of the word for 'distracted' or 'blank'. It can also denote a corner or edge in geometry, as well as the concept of staring blankly or being lost in thought. Commonly used in literature and religious contexts, it captures a sense of distraction or a lack of focus.

Strokes13Radical木Frequency#32645DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Buddhist texts, references to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) highlight the historical significance of this island in the spread of Buddhism, making 楞 a culturally rich term that connects to important spiritual narratives.

Memory Tip

Imagine a square beam (the 'corner' meaning) that has a distracted person staring blankly at it, unable to focus on anything else. The character's components suggest a geometric shape, while its sound 'léng' can remind you of someone lingering in thought, lost in the corners of their mind.

Meanings of 楞

léng(leng2)
primary
1used for Ceylon in Buddhist texts
2square beam
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 楞

楞Simplified
13Strokes
木Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 楞

JasonAmy

Podcast: 楞

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AI Study Notes for 楞

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 楞 with similar sounding characters or tones, such as 愣 (lèng) which has a different meaning. It's more commonly used in literary contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Collocations may include phrases related to Buddhist texts or discussions about geometry.

HSK Study Tips

As an advanced character not included in the HSK levels, learners should focus on its nuances and connections to other characters related to distraction or geometry. It’s beneficial to explore its usage in Buddhist literature for a deeper understanding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 楞 with 愣 due to their similar pronunciations, leading to misuse in context. For example, saying '我今天很楞' when they mean '我今天很愣' (I am very distracted today) is incorrect. The correct term for distraction is 愣.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 楞

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Etymology of 楞

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

tree

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 楞

  1. 1The meaning half木 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half罒 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaytree
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 楞? 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 楞?

Decomposition of 楞

IDS Structure⿰木⿱罒方
楞Full Character
=
木Mu4
left
罒wang3
top
方Fang1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 楞?

How to say used for Ceylon in Buddhist texts in Chinese

“used for Ceylon in Buddhist texts” in Chinese is楞léng

The character 楞 (léng) has various meanings, including a reference to Ceylon in Buddhist texts and a variant of the word for 'distracted' or 'blank'. It can also denote a corner or edge in geometry, as well as the concept of staring blankly or being lost in thought. Commonly used in literature and religious contexts, it captures a sense of distraction or a lack of focus.

When to use 楞

Be careful not to confuse 楞 with similar sounding characters or tones, such as 愣 (lèng) which has a different meaning. It's more commonly used in literary contexts rather than in everyday conversation. Collocations may include phrases related to Buddhist texts or discussions about geometry.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 楞 with 愣 due to their similar pronunciations, leading to misuse in context. For example, saying '我今天很楞' when they mean '我今天很愣' (I am very distracted today) is incorrect. The correct term for distraction is 愣.

Write 楞

楞

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 楞

楞 carries 8 distinct meanings. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他们全都是一些毛毛____楞的小伙子.

These young fellows are all in a flurry.

Example Sentences for 楞 (4)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他们全都是一些毛毛楞楞的小伙子.

tā mén quán dū shì yī xiē máo máo léng léng de xiǎo huǒ zǐ.

These young fellows are all in a flurry.
2
冯云卿 不作声,依然瞪着眼睛在那里发楞.

féng yún qīng bù zuò, shēng , yī rán dèng zháo yǎn jīng zài nà lǐ.

Feng Yun - ching said nothing but just sat staring blankly.
3
前面的墙是用瓦楞钢板做的。

qián miàn de qiáng shì yòng wǎ léng gāng bǎn zuò de。

The front wall is made of corrugated steel.
4
汽车来了,祥子楞头磕脑的坐进去.

qì chē lái le, , xiáng zǐ léng tóu kē nǎo de zuò jìn.

The taxi came and Xiangzi got awkwardly in.

Word Family of 楞

Words Containing This Character4
楞léngedge
瓦楞rows of tiles
巴音郭楞蒙古自治州Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang
巴音郭楞州abbr. for Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 楞 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 楞

It is pronounced as 'léng', with a rising tone.

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