仃 (dīng) - Alone, solitary & lonely

仃Tone 1

dīng ｜ 4 strokes ｜ radical: 亻

丁恩

仃 · dīng

Alone, solitary;

lonely;

isolated.

Often used in the term 伶仃 (língdīng) meaning lonely, solitary, left alone.

Alone, solitarylonelyisolated. Often used in the term 伶仃 (língdīng)

Usage highlights

孤苦伶仃伶仃一人伶仃孤苦瘦骨伶仃零丁孤苦

Synonyms

  • 孤— alone, solitary
  • 独— alone, single
  • 单— single, alone

Antonyms

  • 众— many, numerous
  • 群— group, crowd
  • 双— pair, double

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The child was left alone and helpless (孤苦伶仃).
  • He wandered alone in the city (伶仃一人).
  • The old man lived a solitary life (伶仃度日).

Collocations

  • 孤苦伶仃 (gūkǔ língdīng) — alone and helpless
  • 伶仃一人 (língdīng yī rén) — all alone
  • 伶仃孤苦 (língdīng gūkǔ) — lonely and miserable
  • 瘦骨伶仃 (shòugǔ língdīng) — skinny and bony
  • 零丁孤苦 (língdīng gūkǔ) — variant form meaning lonely and suffering

Idioms

  • 孤苦伶仃 (gūkǔ língdīng) — alone and helpless
  • 伶仃孤苦 (língdīng gūkǔ) — lonely and miserable

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally meant 'alone' or 'solitary' in classical Chinese.
  • Most commonly appears in the compound 伶仃 (língdīng), which conveys a sense of loneliness and helplessness.
  • The character is relatively rare in modern usage outside of fixed expressions.

FAQ