零 is a Chinese character with HSK 1 on the new exam.
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
零 is not attested in oracle bone script. It is a phono-semantic compound built in later periods from the semantic 雨 (rain) on top and the phonetic 令 (lìng) below. The rain radical signals its original meaning as a kind of falling precipitation, while 令 supplied the sound.
Form evolution
The character appears in seal script with 雨 as a clear rain-form top and 令 beneath. Clerical script standardized the 雨 into its flattened form and squared off 令. The modern楷书 form 零 shows both components clearly; no simplification was applied in the simplified character set.
How the meaning evolved
The original meaning was 'light rain' or 'drizzle', particularly the last scattered drops of a rainstorm. From 'scattered remnants' it extended to mean 'fractional', 'odd bits', or 'leftover' (零钱, small change; 零件, spare parts). The 'zero' sense as a numeral is a much later extension, reflecting the idea of an empty or remnant quantity.
Cultural note
In formal and financial writing, 零 is the standard character for the digit 0, used on checks and contracts where the simpler 〇 would be ambiguous. The compound 零落 (língluò), literally 'scattered and fallen', is still used poetically for withered leaves or declining fortunes, preserving the original rain-remnant sense.
Basic info
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 1 |
| Frequency | #667 most common |
Example sentences
你有零钱吗？
Nǐ yǒu língqián ma?
Do you have small change?
From 零钱 (HSK 4)
孩子们最喜欢吃各种各样的零食和糖果点心。
Háizimen zuì xǐhuan chī gèzhǒnggèyàng de língshí hé tángguǒ diǎnxin.
Children love eating all kinds of snacks, candies, and pastries.
From 零食 (HSK 4)
汽车出了故障，需要更换一些重要的零件部件。
Qìchē chū le gùzhàng, xūyào gēnghuàn yīxiē zhòngyào de língjiàn bùjiàn.
The car broke down and needs to replace some important parts and components.
From 零件 (HSK 7-9)
Words containing 零
On the new HSK 1 exam
Studying for HSK 1? Keep 零 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Appears in these articles
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.