Learn a Chinese Character - 笼

1. Character Basics

Radical: 竹 (zhú, bamboo radical)

Stroke Count: 11

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lóng (Second tone) or lǒng (Third tone)

3. Meaning

Cage; basket; container; to cover; to confine

4. Common Words

• 笼子 (lóngzi) - cage; coop
• 鸟笼 (niǎolóng) - birdcage
• 笼罩 (lǒngzhào) - to笼罩; to cover
• 蒸笼 (zhēnglóng) - steamer basket
• 灯笼 (dēnglong) - lantern
• 牢笼 (láolóng) - cage; prison; trap
• 笼统 (lǒngtǒng) - general; vague; not specific
• 笼络人心 (lǒngluòrénxīn) - to win people over; to gain popularity

5. Grammar & Usage

"笼" is a polyphonic character with two main pronunciations:
1. lóng (Second tone): Used as a noun to refer to cages, baskets, or containers made of bamboo or other materials.
2. lǒng (Third tone): Used as a verb meaning "to cover," "to surround," or "to confine."

6. Cultural Background

In Chinese culture, the character "笼" has both practical and symbolic meanings. Practically, it refers to containers for keeping animals, cooking, or lighting (like lanterns). Symbolically, it can represent confinement or restriction, as in the phrase "冲出牢笼" (chōngchūláolóng, to break out of prison). Lanterns (灯笼) are particularly important in Chinese festivals, especially during the Lantern Festival (元宵节) which marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character 笼 consists of 竹 (zhú, bamboo) on top and 龙 (lóng, dragon) below. Bamboo was traditionally used to make cages and containers. You can imagine a bamboo cage (竹) containing something like a dragon (龙) inside, which helps associate the character with its meaning of "cage" or "container."