零

See also: 〇 and 𩆖

零 U+96F6, 零 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-96F6 ← 雵 [U+96F5] CJK Unified Ideographs 雷 → [U+96F7]

零 U+F9B2, 零 CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F9B2 ← 鈴 [U+F9B1] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 靈 → [U+F9B3]

Translingual

Traditional	零
Simplified	零
Japanese	零
Korean	零

Stroke order

Stroke order

Alternative forms

In Japan, Korea and Traditional Chinese jiu zixing, the bottom component 令 is written 亼 + 𰆊, similar to its Kangxi dictionary form. In traditional Chinese as defined by Taiwan MOE and Hong Kong CLIAC, 令 is written 亼 + マ. In simplified Chinese, the component 令 is written 亽 + マ.

Han character

零 (Kangxi radical 173, 雨+5, 13 strokes, cangjie input 一月人戈戈 (MBOII), four-corner 1030₇, composition ⿱⻗令)

References

• KangXi: page 1372, character 10
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 42242
• Dae Jaweon: page 1880, character 5
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 6, page 4061, character 1
• Unihan data for U+96F6

• Unihan data for U+F9B2

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Chinese

trad.		零
simp. #		零
2nd round simp.		⿱⿻丅⿱冖⿰丶丶令
alternative forms		𠏡 𡈍 𤅫 𥥋 𮖿 𠏡 𡈍 𤅫 𥥋 𮖿 𩂙 霗 𩃞 𩅶 𩆖 𩆼 ⿳⻗人𰆊

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 零
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (令) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
令	*ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs
怜	*riːn, *reːŋ
零	*riːŋ, *reːŋ, *reːŋs
魿	*ɡriŋ, *reːŋ
命	*mreŋs
冷	*raːŋʔ, *reːŋ, *reːŋʔ
跉	*reŋ, *reːŋ
嶺	*reŋʔ
領	*reŋʔ
阾	*reŋʔ, *reːŋ
柃	*reŋʔ, *reːŋ
袊	*reŋʔ
詅	*reŋs, *reːŋ
旍	*ʔsleŋ
舲	*reːŋ
齡	*reːŋ
囹	*reːŋ
鴒	*reːŋ
蛉	*reːŋ
鈴	*reːŋ
苓	*reːŋ
伶	*reːŋ
泠	*reːŋ
瓴	*reːŋ
拎	*reːŋ
刢	*reːŋ
玲	*reːŋ
聆	*reːŋ
竛	*reːŋ
軨	*reːŋ
笭	*reːŋ, *reːŋʔ
翎	*reːŋ
閝	*reːŋ
鹷	*reːŋ
昤	*reːŋ
駖	*reːŋ
彾	*reːŋ
呤	*reːŋ
狑	*reːŋ
秢	*reːŋ
岭	*reːŋ
紷	*reːŋ
砱	*reːŋ
羚	*reːŋ
姈	*reːŋ
蕶	*reːŋ
澪	*reːŋ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *riːŋ, *reːŋ, *reːŋs): semantic 雨 (“rain”) + phonetic 令 (OC *ren, *reŋ, *reŋs, *reːŋ, *reːŋs). On the oracle bone script, only thick raindrops are depicted falling from the sky.

Etymology 1

Unclear. Schuessler (2007) proposes several possibilities:

• From Austroasiatic; compare Khmer ភ្លៀង (phliəng, “rain”), from Proto-Mon-Khmer *(p)liɲ ~ *(p)liəɲ ~ (p)liiɲ (“sky, rain”).
• Possibly related to Jingpho marang (“rain”), for which STEDT sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m/s-raŋ (“rain”). Starostin also relates it to this Jingpho word and sets up Proto-Sino-Tibetan *rēŋ (“to drop”), also comparing Tibetan སྤྲིན (sprin, “cloud”) and Burmese ရည် (rany, “liquid; juice”).
• Possibly related to 隕 (OC *ɢunʔ, “to drop”) and 霣 (OC *ɢunʔ, “to rain; to fall down like rain”) if one assumes Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r/s/g-wa (“water; rain”) (or its variant *rwe-) can be simplified to *re- and *we-.

Sense "zero" is introduced in 1248 by Chinese mathematician Li Ye.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): líng (ling²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄥˊ

  (Chengdu, SP): nin²

  (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): лин (lin, I)

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): ling⁴, leng⁴, leng^4-2

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): len³, liang³, liang^3*

• Gan (Wiktionary): lin⁴ / liang⁴
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): làng

  (Meixian, Guangdong): lang²

• Jin (Wiktionary): ling¹
• Min Bei (KCR): lâing
• Min Dong (BUC): lìng
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): lêng / lân

  (Teochew, Peng'im): lêng⁵ / lang⁵

• Wu (Wiktionary): lin (T3)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): lin²

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: líng
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄥˊ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: ling
    • Tongyong Pinyin: líng
    • Wade–Giles: ling2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liŋ³⁵/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: nin²
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lin
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /nin²¹/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic and Wiktionary: лин (lin, I)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liŋ²⁴/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: ling⁴, leng⁴, leng^4-2
    • Yale: lìhng, lèhng, léng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: ling⁴, leng⁴, leng^4-2
    • Guangdong Romanization: ling⁴, léng⁴, léng²
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɪŋ²¹/, /lɛːŋ²¹/, /lɛːŋ²¹⁻³⁵/

Note:

• ling4 - literary;
• leng4, leng4-2 - vernacular (small remaining quantity).

• (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  • Wiktionary: len³, liang³, liang^3*
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /len²²/, /liaŋ²²/, /liaŋ²²⁻²²⁵/

Note:

• len3 - literary;
• liang3, liang3* - vernacular (small remaining quantity).

Gan

• (Nanchang)
  • Wiktionary: lin⁴ / liang⁴
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin³⁵/, /liaŋ³⁵/

Note:

• lin4 - literary;
• liang4 - vernacular.

Hakka

• (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: làng
  • Hakka Romanization System: langˇ
  • Hagfa Pinyim: lang²
  • Sinological IPA: /laŋ¹¹/
• (Meixian)
  • Guangdong: lang²
  • Sinological IPA: /laŋ¹¹/

Jin

• (Taiyuan)⁺
  • Wiktionary: ling¹
  • Sinological IPA (old-style): /lĩŋ¹¹/

Min Bei

• (Jian'ou)
  • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: lâing
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /laiŋ³³/

Min Dong

• (Fuzhou)
  • Bàng-uâ-cê: lìng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃iŋ⁵³/

Min Nan

• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lêng
  • Tâi-lô: lîng
  • Phofsit Daibuun: leeng
  • IPA (Kaohsiung): /liɪŋ²³/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei): /liɪŋ²⁴/
  • IPA (Zhangzhou): /liɪŋ¹³/
  • IPA (Changtai): /leŋ²⁴/
• (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, General Taiwanese)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lân
  • Tâi-lô: lân
  • Phofsit Daibuun: laan
  • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lan²³/
  • IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Changtai, Taipei): /lan²⁴/
  • IPA (Zhangzhou): /lan¹³/

Note:

• lêng - literary;
• lân - vernacular (“fragmentary”).

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: lêng⁵ / lang⁵
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lêng / lâng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /leŋ⁵⁵/, /laŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• lêng5 - literary;
• lang5 - vernacular (“fragmentary”).

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: lin (T3)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɪɲ²³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: lin²
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin¹³/

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• Middle Chinese: /leŋ/, /leŋ^H/

Rime
Character	零	零
Reading #	2/3	3/3
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	青 (125)	青 (125)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Departing (H)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	IV	IV
Fanqie	郎丁切	郎定切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/leŋ/	/leŋH/
Pan Wuyun	/leŋ/	/leŋH/
Shao Rongfen	/lɛŋ/	/lɛŋH/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lɛjŋ/	/lɛjŋH/
Li Rong	/leŋ/	/leŋH/
Wang Li	/lieŋ/	/lieŋH/
Bernard Karlgren	/lieŋ/	/lieŋH/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	líng	lìng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	ling4	ling6

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*[r]ˤiŋ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*reːŋ/, /*reːŋs/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	零
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	líng
Middle Chinese	‹ leng ›
Old Chinese	/*[r]ˁiŋ/
English	fall (v., of rain)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	零	零
Reading #	2/3	3/3
No.	8305	8331
Phonetic component	令	令
Rime group	耕	耕
Rime subdivision	0	0
Corresponding MC rime	靈	零
Old Chinese	/*reːŋ/	/*reːŋs/

Definitions

零

1. fragmentary; scattered

   零星  ―  língxīng  ―  fragmentary

2. fraction; remainder
4. zero [from 1248]

   一減一等於零。 / 一减一等于零。  ―  Yī jiǎn yī děngyú líng.  ―  One minus one equals zero.

   三點零五分 / 三点零五分  ―  sān diǎn líng wǔ fēn  ―  three oh five

   七百零三  ―  qī bǎi líng sān  ―  seven hundred and three

   二零零一年  ―  èrlínglíngyī nián  ―  year 2001

   從零開始 / 从零开始  ―  cóng líng kāishǐ  ―  Start from scratch

   alt. forms: 〇

   Hypernyms: 實數／实数 (shíshù), 有理數／有理数 (yǒulǐshù), 整數／整数 (zhěngshù)

   Coordinate terms: 正數／正数 (zhèngshù), 負數／负数 (fùshù)

5. (Cantonese, Hakka, Min Bei, Min Dong) Used after a number or a classifier to express a small remaining quantity.

   廿零蚊 [Cantonese]  ―  jaa⁶ leng⁴ man¹ [Jyutping]  ―  twenty-something dollars

   分零兩分鐘 / 分零两分钟 [Cantonese]  ―  fan¹ leng⁴ loeng⁵ fan¹ zung¹ [Jyutping]  ―  one to two minutes

   七十零 [Cantonese]  ―  cat¹ sap⁶ leng^4-2 [Jyutping]  ―  seventy-something

6. (gay slang) bottom

   alt. forms: 0

7. (obsolete) drizzle
8. (obsolete) (of precipitation or tear) to fall

   感激涕零  ―  gǎnjītìlíng  ―  grateful to tears

   • 念彼共人，涕零如雨。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, circa 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Niàn bǐ gòng rén, tì líng rú yǔ. [Pinyin]

     I think of those [at court] in their offices,
     And my tears flow down like rain.

9. (obsolete) (of plants or flowers) to wither and fall

   凋零  ―  diāolíng  ―  to wither and fall

10. A surname​.

Synonyms

• See 零/derived_terms § Drizzle, fall, fragmentary.

Compounds

• See 零/derived_terms § Drizzle, fall, fragmentary.

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (零):

• → Japanese: 零(れい) (rei)
• → Korean: 령 (零, ryeong)
• → Vietnamese: linh (零)

Others:

• → Bouyei: lingz
• → Lü: ᦟᦲᧃᧉ (liin²)
• → Zhuang: lingz

See also

Chinese numbers
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	102	103	104	108	1012
Normal (小寫／小写)	〇, 零	一	二	三	四	五	六	七	八	九	十	百	千	萬／万 十千 (Malaysia, Singapore)	億／亿	兆 (Taiwan) 萬億／万亿 (Mainland China)
Financial (大寫／大写)	零	壹	貳／贰	參／叁	肆	伍	陸／陆	柒	捌	玖	拾	佰	仟

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): lián (lian²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄢˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lin⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: lián
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄢˊ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lian
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lián
    • Wade–Giles: lien2
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ljɛn³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: lin⁴
    • Yale: lìhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lin⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: lin⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /liːn²¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: /len/

Rime
Character	零
Reading #	1/3
Initial (聲)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	先 (85)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	落賢切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/len/
Pan Wuyun	/len/
Shao Rongfen	/lɛn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lɛn/
Li Rong	/len/
Wang Li	/lien/
Bernard Karlgren	/lien/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lián
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lin4

• Old Chinese

  (Zhengzhang): /*riːŋ/

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	零
Reading #	1/3
No.	8273
Phonetic component	令
Rime group	眞
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	蓮
Old Chinese	/*riːŋ/

Definitions

零

1. Only used in 先零 and 西零 (Xīlián).

References

• “零”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

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Japanese

Japanese cardinal numbers

	0	1  >
Cardinal : 零

Kanji

零

(common “Jōyō” kanji)

Readings

• Go-on: りょう (ryō)
• Kan-on: れい (rei, Jōyō)
• Kun: あゆ (ayu, 零ゆ); あえる (aeru, 零える); あえす (aesu, 零えす); あやす (ayasu, 零やす); おちる (ochiru, 零ちる); こぼす (kobosu, 零す); こぼる (koboru, 零る); こぼれる (koboreru, 零れる); ゼロ (zero, 零)

Compounds

Compounds

• 零下(れいか) (reika): sub-zero
• 零和(ゼロわ) (zerowa): zero-sum

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
零
れい Grade: S
kan’on

From Middle Chinese [Term?] 零 (leng) with an original meaning of a small rainfall. The character was later repurposed in 1248 by mathematician Li Ye to mean zero, extending from its a little bit (of rain) meaning to indicate a bit more remaining. In Li Ye's notation, a number like 302 would be represented as 三百零二, literally three hundred and remaining two, with the 零 character used as a means of skipping the tens place, by indicating zero tens.

Pronunciation

• On’yomi: Kan’on
• (Tokyo) れ​ー [réꜜè] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɾe̞ː]

Alternative forms

• 〇

Noun

零(れい) • (rei) 

1. zero

Numeral

零(れい) • (rei) 

1. zero

Usage notes

The 〇 spelling is more common in numeric notation.

Proper noun

零(れい) • (Rei) 

1. A male given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
零
こぼ(し) Grade: S
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 零 – see the following entry.

【零こぼし】 [noun] a spill (implying intent or fault by someone) [noun] grumbling (as when one's emotions overflow) Alternative spellings 零, 溢し, 翻し

(This term, 零, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
零
こぼ(れ) Grade: S
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 零 – see the following entry.

【零こぼれ】 [noun] a spill (implying a natural or unintended event) [noun] remainder, leftover Alternative spellings 零, 翻れ

(This term, 零, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 4

Kanji in this term
零
ぜろ Grade: S (ateji)
kun’yomi

For pronunciation and definitions of 零 – see the following entry.

【ゼロ】 [numeral] zero (number) [numeral] (informal) Used to refer to something measurable being absent or missing. Alternative spellings 零, 〇

(This term, 零, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

References

Japanese numbers
	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Regular	零(れい) (rei) 零(ゼロ) (zero)	一(いち) (ichi)	二(に) (ni)	三(さん) (san)	四(よん) (yon) 四(し) (shi)	五(ご) (go)	六(ろく) (roku)	七(なな) (nana) 七(しち) (shichi)	八(はち) (hachi)	九(きゅう) (kyū) 九(く) (ku)	十(じゅう) (jū)
Formal		壱(いち) (ichi)	弐(に) (ni)	参(さん) (san)							拾(じゅう) (jū)
	90	100	300	600	800	1,000	3,000	8,000	10,000	100,000,000
Regular	九(きゅう)十(じゅう) (kyūjū)	百(ひゃく) (hyaku) 一(いっ)百(ぴゃく) (ippyaku)	三(さん)百(びゃく) (sanbyaku)	六(ろっ)百(ぴゃく) (roppyaku)	八(はっ)百(ぴゃく) (happyaku)	千(せん) (sen) 一(いっ)千(せん) (issen)	三(さん)千(ぜん) (sanzen)	八(はっ)千(せん) (hassen)	一(いち)万(まん) (ichiman)	一(いち)億(おく) (ichioku)
Formal									一(いち)萬(まん) (ichiman)
	1012	8×1012	1013	1016	6×1016	8×1016	1017	1018
	一(いっ)兆(ちょう) (itchō)	八(はっ)兆(ちょう) (hatchō)	十(じゅっ)兆(ちょう) (jutchō)	一(いっ)京(けい) (ikkei)	六(ろっ)京(けい) (rokkei)	八(はっ)京(けい) (hakkei)	十(じゅっ)京(けい) (jukkei)	百(ひゃっ)京(けい) (hyakkei)

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Korean

Hanja

零 (eum 령 (ryeong), South Korea 영 (yeong))

零 (eum 련 (ryeon), South Korea 연 (yeon))

1. zero

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Vietnamese

Han character

零: Hán Nôm readings: lênh, linh, rinh

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.