憐 (lián) - To pity & to feel compassion for

憐Tone 2

lián ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

憐 · lián

To pity;

to feel compassion for;

to sympathize with;

to show mercy.

To pityto feel compassion forto sympathize with

Usage highlights

To pityTo love dearlyPoor and pitiableTo sympathize with and cherishTo pity and loveTo pity the fragrant and cherish the jade

Synonyms

  • 悯— to pity, to commiserate
  • 惜— to cherish, to regret (overlapping in compassion sense)
  • 哀— to grieve, to pity

Antonyms

  • 恨— to hate
  • 憎— to detest, to loathe
  • 厌— to dislike, to be weary of

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I pity the poor (怜悯穷人).
  • She showed compassion for the orphan (怜惜孤儿).
  • He is a pitiable person (可怜的人).
  • The poem expresses sympathy for the farmer (怜农).

Collocations

  • To pity(怜悯)
  • To love dearly(怜爱)
  • Poor and pitiable(可怜)
  • To sympathize with and cherish(怜惜)
  • To pity and love(怜恤)
  • To pity the fragrant and cherish the jade(怜香惜玉)

Idioms

  • Pity the fragrant, cherish the jade (怜香惜玉) — to be tender toward the fair sex
  • Same illness evokes mutual compassion (同病相怜) — fellow sufferers sympathize with each other
  • Pity the poor and cherish the aged (怜贫惜老) — to have compassion for the poor and the elderly
  • Alone and forlorn, with none to rely on (孤苦伶仃) — note: uses 伶仃, but often associated with pitiable state

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character embodies the Confucian virtue of compassion (仁) and Buddhist ideal of mercy.
  • In classical poetry, 怜 often expresses deep sympathy for the suffering of common people or personal misfortune.
  • The phrase 怜香惜玉 reflects traditional cultural attitudes toward feminine beauty and fragility.

FAQ