领 (lǐng) is a Chinese character meaning “to lead”. It is written from 令 (to order; a command) and 页 (head; page, leaf (of a book)), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “to lead”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
令 + 页
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 領，項也。从頁令聲（简化字 页 = 頁）
Memory aid
The one who gives orders (令) stands at the head (页) of the group — that person leads.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 领导lǐng dǎoleader; to lead领 = lǐngspoken aslíng dǎoHSK 4
- 领域lǐng yùfield; domain; territory领 = lǐng
- 占领zhàn lǐngto occupy; to capture (a place)领 = lǐng
- 率领shuài lǐngto lead; to command (a group)领 = lǐng
- 领悟lǐng wùto grasp; to comprehend领 = lǐng
- 领袖lǐng xiùleader (of a nation, movement, etc.)领 = lǐng
Go deeper
All readings
to lead; collar
to lead; to receive; collar; neck
带领、率领；领取；衣领；也指脖子。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 领导lǐng dǎoleader; to lead领 = lǐngspoken aslíng dǎoHSK 4
- 领域lǐng yùfield; domain; territory领 = lǐng
- 占领zhàn lǐngto occupy; to capture (a place)领 = lǐng
- 率领shuài lǐngto lead; to command (a group)领 = lǐng
- 领悟lǐng wùto grasp; to comprehend领 = lǐng
- 领袖lǐng xiùleader (of a nation, movement, etc.)领 = lǐng
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 领 mean?
领 (lǐng) means to lead; to receive; collar; neck.
How do you pronounce 领?
It is pronounced lǐng.
What parts is 领 made of?
令 (to order; a command) and 页 (head; page, leaf (of a book)), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 領，項也。从頁令聲（简化字 页 = 頁）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 领 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 领?
页. 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 领?
Common ones are 领导 and 领域. The reading of 领 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.