林檎

Chinese

		phonetic
trad. (林檎)		林	檎
simp. #(林檎)		林	檎
alternative forms		林禽 來禽／来禽

Etymology 1

First attested during the Wei–Jin era.

Likely a loanword from a language in the Western Regions, apples also being a common produce of Central Asia.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): línqín

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lam⁴ kam⁴
• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): lìm-khìm
• Northern Min (KCR): lêng-gěng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): lîm-khîm / lêng-khîm

  (Teochew, Peng'im): lim⁵ kim⁵

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: línqín
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄑㄧㄣˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: líncín
    • Wade–Giles: lin²-chʻin²
    • Yale: lín-chín
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: linchyn
    • Palladius: линьцинь (linʹcinʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lin³⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lam⁴ kam⁴
    • Yale: làhm kàhm
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lam⁴ kam⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: lem⁴ kem⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɐm²¹ kʰɐm²¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lìm-khìm
    • Hakka Romanization System: limˇ kimˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: lim² kim²
    • Sinological IPA: /lim¹¹ kʰim¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: lêng-gěng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /leiŋ³³ keiŋ²¹/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lîm-khîm
    • Tâi-lô: lîm-khîm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: limqiim
    • IPA (Xiamen): /lim²⁴⁻²² kʰim²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lêng-khîm
    • Tâi-lô: lîng-khîm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lengqiim
    • IPA (Singapore): /leŋ²⁴⁻²¹ kʰim²⁴/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: lim⁵ kim⁵
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lîm khîm
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lim⁵⁵⁻¹¹ kʰim⁵⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: lim gim

Rime
Character	林	檎
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)	群 (30)
Final (韻)	侵 (139)	侵 (140)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III
Fanqie	力尋切	巨金切
Baxter	lim	gim
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/liɪm/	/ɡˠiɪm/
Pan Wuyun	/lim/	/ɡᵚim/
Shao Rongfen	/ljem/	/ɡiem/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lim/	/gjim/
Li Rong	/liəm/	/ɡjəm/
Wang Li	/lĭĕm/	/ɡĭĕm/
Bernard Karlgren	/li̯əm/	/gi̯əm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lín	qín
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lam4	kam4

Noun

林檎

1. Chinese pearleaf crabapple (Malus asiatica)
2. wedding gift
3. (Teochew, Zhao'an and Singapore Hokkien) sugar apple

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 花紅 (“Chinese pearleaf crabapple”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		花紅, 林檎, 沙果
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	沙果兒
	Harbin	沙果兒
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	海棠果兒
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	花紅, 沙果兒
	Wanrong	沙果
	Xi'an	沙果兒
	Xining	沙果, 果子
	Xuzhou	沙果
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	大果子
	Lanzhou	沙果子
	Ürümqi	沙果兒
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	花紅
	Guiyang	花紅
	Liuzhou	花紅果
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	花紅
	Yangzhou	花紅, 小蘋果
Gan	Nanchang	沙果
	Lichuan	沙果, 花紅
Huizhou	Jixi	花紅
Jin	Xinzhou	果子
Northern Min	Jian'ou	蜜林檎
Southern Min	Xiamen	染霧
	Quanzhou	染霧
	Zhangzhou	染霧
Wu	Shanghai	花紅
	Suzhou	花紅
	Danyang	花紅
	Ningbo	花紅
	Jinhua	花紅
Xiang	Changsha	花紅

Dialectal synonyms of 番荔枝 (“sugar apple”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Taxonomic name		番荔枝
Northeastern Mandarin	Taiwan	釋迦, 釋迦果
	Singapore	釋迦
Cantonese	Guangzhou	番荔枝, 番鬼荔枝, 番鬼佬荔枝
	Hong Kong	番荔枝, 番鬼荔枝, 番鬼佬荔枝, 番枝
	Dongguan	番鬼荔枝
Hakka	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	番鬼荔枝
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	釋迦
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	釋迦, 沙梨
	Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian)	釋迦
	Kaohsiung (Meinong; S. Sixian)	牛心梨, 柅仔
	Kaohsiung (Shanlin; S. Sixian)	釋迦
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	佛果, 釋迦
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	釋迦
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	佛果, 釋迦
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	釋迦
Southern Min	Xiamen	番仔荔枝, 釋迦
	Zhangzhou	番仔荔枝, 釋迦
	Zhao'an	林檎
	Taipei	釋迦
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	釋迦
	Kaohsiung	釋迦
	Yilan	釋迦
	Changhua (Lukang)	釋迦
	Taichung	釋迦
	Tainan	釋迦
	Hsinchu	釋迦
	Kinmen	釋迦
	Penghu (Magong)	釋迦
	Penang (Hokkien)	nona
	Singapore (Hokkien)	林檎
	Manila (Hokkien)	釋迦
	Chaozhou	林檎
	Raoping	林檎
	Shantou	林檎
	Shantou (Chenghai)	林檎
	Nan'ao (Houzhai)	林檎
	Nan'ao (Yun'ao)	林檎
	Singapore (Teochew)	林檎

Derived terms

• 蜜林檎

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (林檎):

• → Korean: 임금(林檎) (imgeum)

Other:

• → Japanese: 林(りん)檎(ご) (ringo), (obsolete) 林(りゅう)檎(ごう) (ryūgō), (obsolete) 林(りん)檎(き) (rinki)
  • → Ainu: リンゴ
  • Hakka: → 林檎 (lin-kó; lin-ngò), ⇒ 林檎 (lìm-khìm)
  • → Marshallese: diin̄ko
  • Min Nan: → 林檎 (lìn-gò͘), ⇒ 林檎 (lîm-khîm)
• → Korean: 능금 (neunggeum)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Japanese 林檎 (ringo), from Middle Chinese 林檎 (MC lim gim).

Pronunciation

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): lìm-khìm / lin-kó / lin-ngò
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): lìn-gò͘ / lîm-khîm

---

• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lìm-khìm / lin-kó
    • Hakka Romanization System: limˇ kimˇ / lin go`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: lim<sup>2</sup> kim<sup>2</sup> / lin<sup>4</sup> go<sup>3</sup>
    • Sinological IPA: /lim¹¹ kʰim¹¹/, /lin⁵⁵ ko³¹/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lìm-khìm / lin-kó / lin-ngò
    • Hakka Romanization System: limˇ kimˇ / lin go` / lin ngoˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: lim² kim² / lin⁴ go³ / lin⁴ ngo²
    • Sinological IPA: /lim¹¹ kʰim¹¹/, /lin⁵⁵ ko³¹/, /lin⁵⁵ ŋo¹¹/

Note: lin-kó, lin-ngò - from Japanese pronunciation.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Yilan, Hsinchu, Magong)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lìn-gò͘
    • Tâi-lô: lìn-gòo
    • Phofsit Daibuun: lien'gox
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lin²¹⁻⁴¹ ɡɔ²¹/
    • IPA (Tainan, Yilan): /lin²¹⁻⁵³ ɡɔ²¹/
  • (Hokkien: rare in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lîm-khîm
    • Tâi-lô: lîm-khîm
    • Phofsit Daibuun: limqiim
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /lim²³⁻³³ kʰim²³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /lim²⁴⁻¹¹ kʰim²⁴/

Note: lìn-gò͘ - from Japanese pronunciation.

Noun

林檎

1. (Taiwanese Hokkien and Hakka) apple

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 蘋果 (“apple”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		蘋果
Taxonomic name		蘋果
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	蘋果
	Taiwan	蘋果
	Chengde	蘋果
	Chifeng	蘋果
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	蘋果
	Heihe	蘋果
	Qiqihar	蘋果
	Harbin	蘋果
	Jiamusi	蘋果
	Baicheng	蘋果
	Changchun	蘋果
	Tonghua	蘋果
	Shenyang	蘋果
	Jinzhou	蘋果
	Malaysia	蘋果
	Singapore	蘋果
Jilu Mandarin	Tianjin	蘋果
	Tangshan	蘋果
	Cangzhou	蘋果
	Baoding	蘋果
	Shijiazhuang	蘋果
	Lijin	蘋果
	Jinan	蘋果
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Dalian	蘋果
	Dandong	蘋果
	Yantai	蘋果
	Yantai (Muping)	蘋果
	Qingdao	蘋果
	Zhucheng	蘋果
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	蘋果
	Lingbao	蘋果
	Wanrong	蘋果
	Linfen	蘋果
	Shangqiu	蘋果
	Yuanyang	蘋果
	Zhengzhou	蘋果
	Xinyang	蘋果
	Baihe	蘋果
	Xi'an	蘋果
	Dingbian	蘋果, 果子
	Baoji	蘋果
	Tianshui	蘋果
	Xining	蘋果
	Xuzhou	蘋果
	Fuyang	蘋果
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	果子
	Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan)	果子
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	蘋果
	Lanzhou	蘋果
	Dunhuang	蘋果
	Hami	蘋果
	Ürümqi	蘋果, 果子
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	蘋果
	Nanchong	蘋果
	Dazhou	蘋果
	Hanyuan	蘋果
	Xichang	蘋果
	Zigong	蘋果
	Chongqing	蘋果
	Wuhan	蘋果
	Yichang	蘋果
	Xiangyang	蘋果
	Tianmen	蘋果
	Guiyang	蘋果
	Zunyi	蘋果
	Bijie	蘋果
	Liping	蘋果
	Zhaotong	蘋果
	Dali	蘋果
	Kunming	蘋果
	Mengzi	蘋果
	Guilin	蘋果
	Liuzhou	蘋果
	Jishou	蘋果
	Changde	蘋果
	Hanzhong	蘋果
	Dagudi (Maliba)	蘋果
	Reshuitang (Longling)	蘋果
	Mae Salong (Lancang)	蘋果
	Mae Sai (Tengchong)	蘋果
	Pematangsiantar	蘋果
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	蘋果
	Yangzhou	蘋果
	Lianyungang	蘋果
	Lianshui	蘋果
	Nantong	蘋果
	Anqing	蘋果
	Wuhu	蘋果
	Hefei	蘋果
	Hong'an	蘋果
Cantonese	Guangzhou	蘋果
	Hong Kong	蘋果
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)	蘋果
	Macau	蘋果
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	蘋果
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	蘋果
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	蘋果
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	蘋果
	Foshan	蘋果
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	蘋果
	Foshan (Shunde)	蘋果
	Foshan (Sanshui)	蘋果
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	蘋果
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	蘋果
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	蘋果
	Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)	蘋果
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	蘋果
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	蘋果
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	蘋果
	Taishan	蘋果
	Kaiping (Chikan)	蘋果
	Enping (Niujiang)	蘋果
	Heshan (Yayao)	蘋果
	Dongguan	蘋果
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	蘋果
	Baise	蘋果
	Penang (Guangfu)	蘋果
	Singapore (Guangfu)	蘋果
Gan	Nanchang	蘋果
	Pengze	蘋果
	Lichuan	蘋果
	Pingxiang	蘋果
Hakka	Meixian	蘋果
	Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)	蘋果
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	蘋果
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	蘋果
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	蘋果
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	蘋果
	Yudu	蘋果
	Ruijin	蘋果
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	林檎
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	林檎
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	林檎
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	林檎, 蘋果
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	林檎
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	蘋果, 林檎
	Hong Kong	蘋果
Huizhou	Jixi	蘋果
	Shexian	蘋果
Jin	Taiyuan	蘋果
	Yangyuan	蘋果
	Datong	蘋果
	Xinzhou	蘋果
	Lüliang (Lishi)	蘋果
	Changzhi	蘋果
	Linhe	蘋果
	Jining	蘋果
	Hohhot	蘋果
	Erenhot	蘋果
	Pingshan	蘋果
	Zhangjiakou	蘋果
	Handan	蘋果
	Linzhou	蘋果
	Suide	蘋果
Northern Min	Jian'ou	蘋果
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	蘋果
Southern Min	Xiamen	蘋果
	Quanzhou	蘋果
	Zhangzhou	蘋果
	Zhangpu	蘋果
	Zhao'an	蘋果
	Taipei	瓜果
	New Taipei (Tamsui)	蘋果
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	瓜果
	New Taipei (Pingxi)	林檎
	Kaohsiung	蘋果, 林檎
	Kaohsiung (Cijin)	蘋果, 林檎
	Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)	蘋果, 林檎
	Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)	蘋果, 林檎
	Kaohsiung (Tianliao)	蘋果, 林檎
	Yilan	林檎, 蘋果
	Yilan (Toucheng)	蘋果, 林檎
	Changhua (Lukang)	蘋果
	Taichung	林檎, 蘋果
	Tainan	林檎, 蘋果
	Tainan (Anping)	蘋果
	Hsinchu	林檎
	Kinmen	蘋果
	Penghu (Magong)	蘋果, 林檎
	Penghu (Xiyu)	蘋果
	Penang (Hokkien)	蘋果
	Singapore (Hokkien)	蘋果
	Manila (Hokkien)	蘋果
	Raoping	蘋果
	Singapore (Teochew)	蘋果
	Haikou	蘋果
Puxian Min	Xianyou	蘋果
Central Min	Nanping (Wangtai, Yanping)	蘋果
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	蘋果
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	蘋果
Wu	Shanghai	蘋果
	Shanghai (Chongming)	蘋果
	Suzhou	蘋果
	Danyang	蘋果
	Hangzhou	蘋果
	Ningbo	蘋果
	Wenzhou	蘋果
	Jinhua	蘋果
Xiang	Changsha	蘋果
	Loudi	蘋果

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
林	檎
りん Grade: 1	ご Jinmeiyō
on'yomi	kan'yōon

林檎 (ringo)

/rimʉɡomʉ/ → /riŋɡõː/ → /riŋɡo/

From Middle Chinese 林檎 (MC lim gim).

Originally referred to the Chinese pearleaf crabapple (Malus asiatica) imported from China, it has expanded to mean any apple of the Malus genus.

First cited in 918 in the 本草和名 (Honzō Wamyō, “Japanese names for medicinal plants”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) りんご [rìńgó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [ɾʲĩŋɡo̞]

Noun

林(りん)檎(ご) or 林檎(リンゴ) • (ringo) 

1. [from 918] apple

   りんごの鮮(せん)度(ど)の見(み)分(わ)け方(かた)

   ringo no sendo no miwake-kata

   how to tell whether an apple is fresh

2. (slang) the company Apple Inc. or its products

   よく林(りん)檎(ご)の審(しん)査(さ)通(とお)ったなこれ。

   Yoku ringo no shinsa tōtta na kore.

   I can't believe this has passed Apple's censorship.

Usage notes

Can refer to either the fruit or the tree. As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as リンゴ.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 林(りん)檎(ご)飴(あめ) (ringo ame, “candy apple”)
• 林(りん)檎(ご)酸(さん) (ringo-san, “malic acid”)
• 林(りん)檎(ご)酒(しゅ) (ringoshu, “apple cider”)
• 林(りん)檎酢(ごす) (ringosu)
• 林(りん)檎(ご)病(びょう) (ringo-byō, “fifth disease”)
• 青(アオ)林(リン)檎(ゴ) (aoringo)
• 和(ワ)林(リン)檎(ゴ) (waringo)

Descendants

• → Ainu: リンゴ
• → Hakka: 林檎 (lin-ngò)
• → Marshallese: diin̄ko
• → Min Nan: 林檎 (lìn-gò)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
林	檎
りん > りゅう Grade: 1	ごん > ごう Jinmeiyō
irregular

/rimʉɡomʉ/ → /riũɡoũ/ → /rʲuːɡoː/

A variant shift from Middle Chinese 林檎 (MC lim gim). The shift in reading was due to an orthographic inconsistency in spelling the nasalized mora marked as ん (n) in modern Japanese. In ancient texts, this kana did not yet exist, and the sound was often spelled using the む (mu) kana, which in certain terms shifted to, and may have been spelled as, う (u).

Appears in the 和名類聚抄 (Wamyō Ruijushō) of c. 938 CE.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɾʲɨːɡo̞ː]

Noun

林(りゅう)檎(ごう) • (ryūgō) ^{←りうごう (riugou)?}

1. [938–???] (rare, obsolete) an apple

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
林	檎
りん Grade: 1	きん > き Jinmeiyō
on'yomi	kan'on

/rimʉkimʉ/ → */rinkiɴ/ → /rinki/

Another variant shift from Middle Chinese 林檎 (MC lim gim).

Appears in the 色葉字類抄 (Iroha Jiruishō) of 1181.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɾʲĩŋʲkʲi]

Noun

林(りん)檎(き) • (rinki) 

1. [1138–????] (rare, obsolete) an apple

See also

• アップル (appuru)
• 苹(へい)果(か) (heika, “apple fruit”, rare)
• 苹(ひょう)果(か) (hyōka, “apple fruit”, rare)

Korean

Hanja in this term
林	檎

Noun

林檎 • (imgeum) (hangeul 임금)

1. Hanja form^? of 임금 (“crab apple”).