靈魂 / 灵魂
línghún
The English word "soul" can be translated into Chinese as 靈魂 / 灵魂 (línghún).
Meaning: the spirit or essence of a person that is often believed to live on after the person's death (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 靈魂 / 灵魂 | línghún | ||
| 靈魂 / 灵魂 | lêng-hûn | Hokkien | |
| 魂魄 | hûn-phek | /hun²⁴⁻²² pʰiɪk̚³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /hun¹³⁻²² pʰiɪk̚³²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The term refers to the spirit or essence of a person. The term 灵魂 refers to the concept of a soul, spirit or consciousness. The word 心灵 refers to the innermost depths of one's heart and soul.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The forms 靈魂 / 灵魂 and 魂魄 are associated with Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
lêng-hûn
Did you know?
- The phrase 魂飛魄散 (hún fēi pò sàn) is used to describe extreme terror, literally meaning that one's two souls have flown and scattered.
- Certain traditional rituals involve 'calling the soul' (招魂), where a family member calls the name of a dying or unconscious person to coax their 魂 back into the body.
- The term 魂魄 (hún pò) describes a soul that is actually split into two distinct parts: the 'hun' represents the ethereal, spiritual aspect and the 'po' represents the corporeal, physical aspect.
Examples in context
- 我相信每个人的灵魂都是独一无二的。I believe that everyone's soul is unique.
- 这首歌触动了我的心灵。This song touched my soul.
- 他的琴声充满了灵魂。His music is full of soul.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soul” translations and entries 魂魄, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
