lǐng

neck

collar; to lead; to receive; classifier for clothes, mats, screens etc

command (令) + head (页) = the neck that leads

页 is an ancient pictograph of a human head, which anchors the meaning of neck and collar — the part of the body just below the head. 令 lends the sound lǐng and brings a faint sense of command, which resonates with the extended meanings of leading and receiving.

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CommandPhonetic
Head (originally a pictograph of a person with a prominent head)Semantic

着孩子们去公园玩。

tā lǐng zhe hái zi men qù gōng yuán wán。

He led the children to the park to play.

你去窗口一下你的工资吧。

nǐ qù chuāng kǒu lǐng yī xià nǐ de gōng zī ba。

Go to the window to receive your wages.

Words with 领

领唱

lǐng chàng

to lead a chorus

遥遥领先

yáo yáo lǐng xiān

(idiom) a long way in front; to lead by a wide margin

领土

lǐng tǔ

territory

领土完整

lǐng tǔ wán zhěng

territorial integrity

领地

lǐng dì

territory; domain; estate

领域

lǐng yù

domain; sphere; field; territory; area

领子

lǐng zi

shirt collar

领洗

lǐng xǐ

to be baptized

领海

lǐng hǎi

territorial waters

领馆

lǐng guǎn

consulate

金领

jīn lǐng

gold collar

鸡心领

jī xīn lǐng

(of clothing) V-neck

More characters with 令