Dictionary › 临

临

lín

HSK 5 Character Traditional 臨

What 临 means

1. to face
2. to overlook
3. to arrive
4. to be (just) about to
5. just before

Example sentences

• 临近圣诞。
  Línjìn Shèngdàn.
  Christmas is approaching.
• 寒冬来临。
  Hándōng láilín.
  Cold winter came on.
• 欢迎光临！
  Huānyíng guānglín!
  Welcome.
• 欢迎光临。
  Please come.
• 夜幕降临了！
  Yèmùjiànglín le!
  Night has fallen!
• 临时抱佛脚。
  I'm making a last minute effort.

Words starting with 临

• 临时lín shías the time draws near; at the last moment; temporary
• 临床lín chuáng(medicine) clinical
• 临走lín zǒubefore leaving; on departure
• 临近lín jìnto approach; to draw near; to be close to (in space or time)
• 临终lín zhōngapproaching death; on one's deathbed
• 临死lín sǐfacing death; at death's door
• 临行lín xíngon leaving; on the point of departure
• 临时工lín shí gōngtemporary worker; temp; temporary work
• 临街lín jiēfacing the street
• 临别lín biéjust before parting
• 临摹lín móto copy (a model of calligraphy or painting etc)
• 临阵lín zhènjust before the battle; to approach the front line
• 临海lín hǎito overlook the sea; on the waterfront
• 临到lín dàoto befall
• 临了lín liǎoat the last moment; right at the end
• 临场lín chǎngto be at the scene (sitting for an exam, performing, competing, giving directions etc)…
• 临时政府lín shí zhèng fǔprovisional government
• 临危lín wēidying (from illness); facing death; on one's deathbed
• 临头lín tóuto befall; to be imminent
• 临产lín chǎnto face childbirth; about to give birth; refers esp. to the onset of regular contractions
• 临门lín ménto arrive home; facing one's home; home-coming
• 临界lín jiècritical; boundary
• 临床医学lín chuáng yī xuéclinical medicine
• 临界点lín jiè diǎncritical point; boundary point

Words containing 临

• 面临miàn línto face sth; to be confronted with
• 光临guāng lín(formal) to honor with one's presence; to attend
• 降临jiàng línto descend; to arrive; to come
• 濒临bīn línon the edge of; (fig.) on the verge of; close to
• 来临lái línto approach; to come closer
• 亲临qīn línto visit in person; to personally attend
• 居高临下jū gāo lín xiàlit. to be in a high location, overlooking the scene below (idiom)…
• 身临其境shēn lín qí jìng(idiom) to experience it for oneself; to actually *be* there…
• 如临大敌rú lín dà dílit. as if meeting a great enemy (idiom); fig. cautious; with great preoccupation
• 莅临lì línto arrive (esp. of notable person); to visit (more formal than 光临
• 登临dēng línto visit places famous for their scenery
• 再临zài línto come again
• 亚临界yà lín jièsubcritical
• 超临界chāo lín jièsupercritical
• 事到临头shì dào lín tóuwhen things come to a head (idiom)
• 即将来临jí jiāng lái línimminent
• 大限临头dà xiàn lín tóufacing the end (idiom); at the end of one's life; with one foot in the grave
• 大难临头dà nàn lín tóuto be facing imminent calamity (idiom); disaster is looming
• 死到临头sǐ dào lín tóuDeath is near at hand. (idiom)
• 亲临其境qīn lín qí jìngto travel to a place personally (idiom)
• 双喜临门shuāng xǐ lín méntwo simultaneous happy events in the family
• 欢迎光临huān yíng guāng línWelcome! (used by staff to greet customers when they enter a shop or restaurant)
• 降临节Jiàng lín jiéAdvent (Christian period of 4 weeks before Christmas)
• 圣神降临Shèng shén jiàng línWhit Sunday (Christian Festival celebrating the Holy Spirit)

Characters that look like 临

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 该gāishould; ought to; probably
• 谁shéiwho; also pr. shuí
• 娘niángmother; young lady; (colloquial) effeminate
• 悔huǐ(bound form) to regret; to repent
• 悟wùto comprehend; to apprehend; to become aware
• 浊zhuóturbid; muddy; impure

Sounds the same

Read lín, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 林(bound form) woods; forest; (bound form) circle(s) (i.e. specific group of people)…
• 邻neighbor; adjacent; close to
• 淋to sprinkle; to drip; to pour
• 琳gem
• 鳞scales (of fish, snakes etc)
• 霖continued rain
• 磷(chemistry) phosphorus
• 遴(literary) to select
• 粼clear (as of water)
• 啉used in the transliteration of the names of organic compounds such as porphyrin 卟啉
• 嶙ranges of hills
• 璘luster of gem