灵魂
línghún · HSK 7
soul
👻 灵 = spirit + 魂 = soul; both halves mean soul, doubled for emphasis
灵 carries the sense of spirit or the quick living essence, and 魂 is the soul that departs at death. Stacked together they name the whole inner self — the soul or psyche.
灵 — rain 雨 + mouths 口口口 + shaman 巫
Originally written 靈, depicting shamans (巫) using mouths (口口口) to chant prayers for rain (雨). The character meant a spirit medium who could summon rain, then broadened to mean spirit, soul, or supernatural efficacy. The simplified form 灵 replaces the lower portion with 火 (fire) over 彐.
魂 — 云 (cloud, phonetic) + 鬼 (ghost, semantic)
魂 is a phono-semantic compound. The 鬼 component (ghost/spirit) gives the meaning, referring to the soul or spiritual essence, while 云 (cloud) supplies the sound. In ancient Chinese thought, 魂 named the ethereal soul that rises to heaven at death, paired with 魄 the bodily soul.