灵 (líng) is a Chinese character meaning “quick-witted”. It is written from 彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right) and 火 (fire), one above the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “quick; spirit”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
彐 + 火
Top–bottom structure
- 彐 snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right · jì simplified form
- 火 fire · huǒ simplified form
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：彐 3 画 + 火 4 画 = 7 画）
Memory aid
A hand-shaped block 彐 hovering over a fire 火 — something unseen moving above the flames. Both parts are really in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 灵活líng huónimble; flexible灵 = líng
- 心灵xīn língheart; inner spirit灵 = líng
- 灵芝líng zhīlingzhi mushroom; reishi灵 = líng
- 幽灵yōu língghost; spectre; phantom灵 = líng
Go deeper
All readings
quick; spirit
quick-witted; nimble; effective; spirit, soul
反应快、不呆板；也指精神、灵魂。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 灵活líng huónimble; flexible灵 = líng
- 心灵xīn língheart; inner spirit灵 = líng
- 灵芝líng zhīlingzhi mushroom; reishi灵 = líng
- 幽灵yōu língghost; spectre; phantom灵 = líng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 灵 mean?
灵 (líng) means quick-witted; nimble; effective; spirit, soul.
How do you pronounce 灵?
It is pronounced líng.
What parts is 灵 made of?
彐 (snout radical; a three-stroke block closed on the right) and 火 (fire), one above the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（对照 hanzi-writer-data 笔画：彐 3 画 + 火 4 画 = 7 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 灵 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 灵?
火. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 灵?
Common ones are 灵活 and 心灵. The reading of 灵 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.