May 14, 2025
when shortening chinese names, what is the purpose of the number zero? such as someone shortening li haoling to lh0, or lin ling to l0?
It's just a nickname.
Lin Ling's characters are 林凌. His "Ling" (凌) mean: pure; virtuous; insult; maltreat. However, Zero in cn in líng (零).
His real nickname in the cn community is 00 because if you say Lin Ling fast, it sounds like you're saying 00 (líng líng/零零).
That why you'll see Lin Ling and Li Haoling's name be abbreviated to L0, 00, and lh0 as a nickname.
Overall, it's a cute and fun play on words.