寧
简 宁 · 繁 寧Meanings · ning4
- (adverb) Would rather (do one thing than the other)
Meanings · ning4
- peaceful
- to pacify
- to visit (one's parents etc)
- peace
- another name for Nanjing
- would rather than
- better be than
- how could it be
Meanings · ning6
- peaceful
- to pacify
- to visit (one's parents etc)
- peace
- another name for Nanjing
- would rather than
- better be than
- how could it be
About these definitions
Source definition segments, in their original order. Characters a definition cites are shown without their Mandarin pinyin; classifier lists that CC-Canto copied from CC-CEDICT are marked Mandarin. The community dictionary is not independently verified by zimai.
Reading & tones
Schematic citation-tone diagrams from the source numbers. These are not recordings or predictions of connected speech.
Same syllable, six tones
Characters whose customary Unihan reading (kCantonese) is this syllable in each tone, chosen as in the tone atlas (2013 standard level, then the number of CC-CEDICT words they form), with CC-Canto 2017's meaning for that reading; a dash means no catalogue character has that reading. Checked syllables (-p, -t, -k) normally carry tones 1, 3 and 6. Character readings, not word readings; no frequency implied.
Written characters
Both source spellings are represented. Written membership is not an etymological or semantic claim.
Mandarin comparison · separate source entries
CC-CEDICT, the Mandarin–English dictionary, lists the same written form:
- 寧 Níng CC-CEDICT · Mandarinabbr. for Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 寧夏回族自治區 Níng xià Huí zú Zì zhì qū; abbr. for Nanjing 南京 Nán jīng; surname Ning
- 寧 níng CC-CEDICT · Mandarinpeaceful; to pacify; to visit (one's parents etc)
- 寧 nìng CC-CEDICT · Mandarinwould rather; to prefer; how (emphatic); Taiwan pr. níng
A separate source entry, shown for comparison. The same characters can carry different senses in Mandarin and in Cantonese; zimai does not align these senses.
CC-Canto includes this pinyin reference: ning2. It does not establish a Mandarin word with the same meaning.
Look up this spelling in the Mandarin dictionary ↗Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 13 senses · 2 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
ning4 · ning6
Cantonese word readings for 寧. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character · Etymology 1
- peaceful; tranquil; serene; at peace
- (literary) to stabilise; to pacify
- (obsolete) to mourn for one's deceased parent
- (literary, especially of married women) to visit one's parents
- (alt-of, alternative, name) Alternative name for 江寧／江宁 (Jiāngníng, “old name for Nanjing”).
- (alt-of, alternative, name) Alternative name for 寧夏／宁夏 (Níngxià, “Ningxia”).
character · Etymology 1
- rather; would rather
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) could there be
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) such; like this; so
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) unexpectedly; in spite of everything
- (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) modal particle
character · Etymology 1
- a surname
character · Etymology 2
- (Northern Wu, especially Shanghainese, neologism) alternative form of 人
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack