Chinese Character: 邻
1. Character Basics
Radical: 阝 (fù, right ear radical)
Stroke Count: 7
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: lín (Second tone)
3. Meaning
Neighbor; adjacent; nearby; neighboring; close; next to; adjoining; vicinity; proximity; neighboring area; neighboring country; neighboring town; close to each other; neighboring house
4. Common Words
- 邻居 (línjū) - neighbor
- 相邻 (xiānglín) - adjacent; neighboring
- 邻里 (línlǐ) - neighborhood; neighbors
- 邻近 (línjìn) - close to; near; adjacent
- 邻国 (línguó) - neighboring country
- 邻舍 (línshè) - neighbor's house; neighbors
- 邻村 (líncūn) - neighboring village
- 邻座 (línzuò) - adjacent seat; neighbor seat
5. Grammar & Usage
"邻" is primarily used as a noun meaning "neighbor" or as an adjective meaning "adjacent" or "nearby". It is often used in compound words related to proximity or neighboring relationships.
Common structures include "邻+名词" (neighboring + noun), "相+邻" (to be adjacent), and "邻+近" (to be close to).
In formal contexts, it can be used to describe geographical relationships, such as "邻国" (neighboring country) or "邻省" (neighboring province).
6. Cultural Background
In Chinese culture, the concept of "邻" (neighbor) holds great importance. The traditional saying "远亲不如近邻" (A distant relative is not as helpful as a nearby neighbor) reflects the value placed on good neighborly relationships.
The character "邻" with the right ear radical (阝) at the right indicates its connection to place or location, as this radical is often used in characters related to geographical features or locations.
In Chinese communities, maintaining harmonious relations with neighbors has been a core social value for thousands of years, emphasizing mutual support and cooperation.
7. Example Sentence
Chinese: 我们和邻居相处得很好，经常互相帮助。
Pinyin: Wǒmen hé línjū xiāngchǔ de hěn hǎo, jīngcháng hùxiāng bāngzhù.
English: We get along very well with our neighbors and often help each other.
8. Memory Tips
The character "邻" consists of 令 (lìng, order/command) on the left and 阝 (fù, right ear radical) on the right.
You can remember it as "people who follow the same order/rule (令) and live near each other (阝)" or visualize neighbors living close to each other and following community rules.
The right ear radical (阝) is a key component to remember, as it relates to place or location, connecting to the meaning of neighboring or adjacent.