零
fractional; remainder; zero; wither and fall
Meanings
9 senses · 42 examplesadjective
fractional; small in amount; opposite of whole
Used to describe things that are not whole, or transactions/uses of small amounts.
I usually keep some spare change to buy snacks.
This store offers retail services.
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We need to break down the big project into small, fractional tasks.
He divided the whole box of cookies into individual portions for his classmates.
Don't overlook those small, trivial details when making a plan.
noun
fractional amount; remainder
informalOften used with the nominal suffix 儿 in colloquial speech, refers to the leftover small amount after rounding or dividing.
This clothes cost eighty yuan with some change.
Grandma is already over eighty years old with a few extra years.
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Be careful not to get overcharged for small change when buying fruit.
He rounded off the small remainder on the bill.
This package weighs five jin plus a little extra.
numeral
used between two quantities to indicate a smaller unit attached
Used to connect a larger unit and a smaller unit when stating a measurement or count.
This holiday lasts one year and three days total.
The price of this book is eight yuan and two fen.
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He finished the marathon in three hours and fifteen minutes.
This flight took two hours and ten minutes.
This classroom can hold fifty-five students total.
numeral
zero (placeholder digit)
Used to represent an empty digit position in numbers, often written as the circle symbol 0 in modern digital text.
My dorm is in Room 301.
The year 2000 is the millennium year.
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This postal code is 10086.
His employee ID number is 5023.
This book was published in 1980.
numeral
zero; nothing; none
Can be used in both mathematical expressions and figurative contexts to mean 'none' or 'no effect'.
One minus one equals zero.
Our team lost this game with zero points.
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This new medicine has no effect on my cough at all, it's practically zero.
After working hard for half a day but getting zero results, it's really discouraging.
There are almost no zero-risk options in his plan.
numeral
starting point; zero degree
Used for measurement scales like temperature, coordinates, or benchmarks.
Today's lowest temperature is minus ten degrees Celsius.
The zero point data for this experiment has been recorded.
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We started the countdown to welcome the New Year at exactly midnight.
The origin of this coordinate system is zero zero.
A zero-stress holiday helped him regain his energy.
proper noun
surname Ling
A relatively common Chinese surname.
Mr. Ling is a new colleague at our company.
I know a teacher whose surname is Ling.
verb
to wither and fall (of plants)
Used to describe the natural shedding of leaves, flowers, or other plant parts as they wither.
Autumn has arrived, and the leaves begin to wither and fall.
After the cold winter, the flowers have withered and fallen.
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Maple leaves that have withered and fallen in the autumn wind look like a red sea.
Winter has come, and all the flowers in the garden have withered away.
Withered and fallen petals covered the entire path.
verb
to fall (rain, tears, etc.)
literaryA literary and formal usage, primarily used in written Chinese to describe the falling of liquids like rain or tears.
Spring rain falls gently, nourishing the earth.
Upon hearing this bad news, she could not help but shed tears.
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Night rain falls outside the window, stirring up my homesickness.
On the occasion of parting, hot tears fell from his eyes.
Ancient poetry often uses 'ti ling' to express sadness.