← ChinesePath Chinese Dictionary

零

líng

1. numeral zero; links non-zero digits when reading numbers

   现在的气温是零下五度。

   Xiànzài de qìwēn shì língxià wǔ dù.

   The temperature now is five degrees below zero.

2. noun odd amount; remainder (as in 一年零三个月)

   他工作了一年零三个月。

   Tā gōngzuò le yī nián líng sān ge yuè.

   He worked for one year and three months.

3. adjective fragmentary; small (as in 零钱, 零食)

   出门带点零钱方便坐车。

   Chūmén dài diǎn língqián fāngbiàn zuò chē.

   Carry some small change when you go out — it makes taking the bus easier.

4. verb (of plants) to wither and fall; (of liquid) to fall in drops

   经过一夜的风雨，花园里的花朵纷纷零落。

   Jīngguò yī yè de fēngyǔ, huāyuán lǐ de huāduǒ fēnfēn língluò.

   After a night of wind and rain, the flowers in the garden scattered and fell.

The full ChinesePath dictionary entry for 零 includes audio for every reading and example sentence, more example sentences, collocations, synonyms and links to the course units where it is taught.