链 liàn — chain; lead or tin ore
自行车的链条断了，骑不了了。Zì xíng chē de liàn tiáo duàn le, qí bu liǎo le.The bicycle chain broke, so it cannot be ridden.
Common words: 项链 (xiàng liàn)、人链 (rén liàn)、链子 (liàn zi)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "lead"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "lead", including 链 (liàn), 倡 (chàng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "lead" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 链 (liàn), 倡 (chàng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span liàn, chàng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 链 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 链 liànchain; lead or tin oreUseful words: 项链, 人链
- 倡 chànginitiate; instigate; introduce; lead; initiateUseful words: 提倡, 倡导
Common words for these 2 "lead" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 链 (liàn) — so "lead" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "lead".
倡 chàng — initiate; instigate; introduce; lead; initiate
老师倡议大家多读书、读好书。Lǎo shī chàng yì dà jiā duō dú shū, dú hǎo shū.The teacher advocates that everyone read more and read good books.
Common words: 提倡 (tí chàng)、倡导 (chàng dǎo)、倡议 (chàng yì)
All 2 characters
Open 链、倡 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.