lǐngyù: 领域 - Field, Domain, Sphere, Realm

• Keywords: lingyu Chinese, lǐngyù meaning, how to say field in Chinese, domain in Chinese, sphere of influence Chinese, 领域, 领域 pinyin, 领域 meaning, area of expertise Chinese
• Summary: Learn the Chinese word 领域 (lǐngyù), a crucial term for defining a field, domain, or realm of knowledge, activity, or influence. This page breaks down its meaning, from professional contexts like “the field of science” (科学领域) to abstract ideas like “the spiritual realm” (精神领域). Understand how to use 领域 (lǐngyù) to confidently discuss your area of expertise, industry, or interests in authentic Chinese.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): lǐng yù
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: A specific area of activity, knowledge, or influence; a field or domain.
• In a Nutshell: Think of 领域 (lǐngyù) as drawing a clear boundary around a subject or area. While “field” is a great English equivalent, 领域 feels slightly more formal and established. It's the word you use for an academic discipline (e.g., history), a professional sector (e.g., technology), or even an abstract sphere of thought (e.g., philosophy). It denotes a recognized and defined area of expertise or operation.

• 领 (lǐng): The original meaning is “neck” or “collar.” Because the collar leads the rest of the garment, this character's meaning extended to “to lead,” “to guide,” or “to be in charge of.”
• 域 (yù): This character means “region,” “area,” or “domain.” The left part is the earth radical (土), strongly suggesting land or territory. The right part (或) originally depicted a walled city or territory.

When combined, 领域 (lǐngyù) literally means a “led/controlled region.” This perfectly captures the modern meaning: a defined territory of knowledge or influence that one can be an expert in or operate within.

While 领域 (lǐngyù) isn't as culturally complex as terms like `关系 (guānxi)`, its usage reflects an appreciation for expertise and clearly defined roles. In Western culture, especially American culture, one might casually say “that's my thing” or “I dabble in that field.” Using 领域 in Chinese carries more weight. To declare something as your 领域 (lǐngyù) is to claim a level of authority and specialized knowledge. It aligns with a cultural respect for scholars, experts, and specialists. For example, in a business meeting, stating “在市场营销领域, 我们是专家” (In the marketing field, we are the experts) is a strong, confident assertion of competence. It's less about casual interest and more about a recognized, established sphere of competence. This contrasts with a more fluid, generalist approach sometimes valued in the West. Defining your 领域 is a key part of establishing your professional identity in China.

领域 (lǐngyù) is a versatile and common word used in both formal and semi-formal contexts.

• Academic and Professional Contexts: This is its most frequent use. It refers to a field of study, research, or a professional sector.
  • `教育领域` (jiàoyù lǐngyù) - The field of education
  • `人工智能领域` (réngōng zhìnéng lǐngyù) - The field of Artificial Intelligence
• Business and Economics: It's used to talk about market sectors or areas of business operations.
  • `进入一个新的商业领域` (jìnrù yí gè xīn de shāngyè lǐngyù) - To enter a new business domain.
  • `金融领域` (jīnróng lǐngyù) - The financial sector.
• Abstract and Figurative Use: It can describe non-physical “realms” or “spheres.”
  • `思想领域` (sīxiǎng lǐngyù) - The realm of thought.
  • `艺术领域` (yìshù lǐngyù) - The realm of art.
  • `精神领域` (jīngshén lǐngyù) - The spiritual realm.

The connotation is generally neutral, simply defining an area. It's appropriate for written reports, presentations, and educated conversations.

• Example 1:
  • 他在医学领域做出了巨大贡献。
  • Pinyin: Tā zài yīxué lǐngyù zuòchūle jùdà gòngxiàn.
  • English: He has made enormous contributions in the field of medicine.
  • Analysis: A classic, formal example of using 领域 for an academic or professional field. “医学领域” is a standard set phrase.
• Example 2:
  • 这是我的专业领域，请相信我。
  • Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒ de zhuānyè lǐngyù, qǐng xiāngxìn wǒ.
  • English: This is my area of professional expertise, please trust me.
  • Analysis: This shows how to use 领域 to assert personal expertise. “专业领域” (zhuānyè lǐngyù) is a very common and useful collocation.
• Example 3:
  • 我们公司计划拓展到新的业务领域。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī jìhuà tuòzhǎn dào xīn de yèwù lǐngyù.
  • English: Our company plans to expand into new business domains.
  • Analysis: A common business usage. It refers to a new sector or type of business activity.
• Example 4:
  • 人工智能是一个发展迅速的领域。
  • Pinyin: Réngōng zhìnéng shì yí gè fāzhǎn xùnsù de lǐngyù.
  • English: Artificial intelligence is a rapidly developing field.
  • Analysis: Here, 领域 is used to describe a modern, dynamic sector of technology.
• Example 5:
  • 对于这个领域，我完全是个门外汉。
  • Pinyin: Duìyú zhège lǐngyù, wǒ wánquán shì ge ménwàihàn.
  • English: In this field, I am a complete layman/outsider.
  • Analysis: This sentence demonstrates how to express a lack of knowledge in a specific domain. “门外汉 (ménwàihàn)” literally means “person outside the door” and is a great idiom to learn.
• Example 6:
  • 这次会议涵盖了科学和技术的多个领域。
  • Pinyin: Zhècì huìyì hángàile kēxué hé jìshù de duō gè lǐngyù.
  • English: This conference covered multiple fields of science and technology.
  • Analysis: Shows the use of 领域 in the plural (“multiple fields”).
• Example 7:
  • 哲学探讨的是人类思想领域的根本问题。
  • Pinyin: Zhéxué tàntǎo de shì rénlèi sīxiǎng lǐngyù de gēnběn wèntí.
  • English: Philosophy explores the fundamental questions in the realm of human thought.
  • Analysis: An excellent example of the abstract, figurative use of 领域 to mean “realm.”
• Example 8:
  • 跨领域合作是解决复杂问题的关键。
  • Pinyin: Kuà lǐngyù hézuò shì jiějué fùzá wèntí de guānjiàn.
  • English: Cross-domain collaboration is the key to solving complex problems.
  • Analysis: “跨 (kuà)” means “to cross.” Here, 领域 is used as part of a compound word, “跨领域,” meaning interdisciplinary or cross-domain.
• Example 9:
  • 在环保领域，还有很多工作要做。
  • Pinyin: Zài huánbǎo lǐngyù, hái yǒu hěn duō gōngzuò yào zuò.
  • English: In the environmental protection field, there is still a lot of work to be done.
  • Analysis: A practical example discussing a societal issue within a specific “field” or “sector.”
• Example 10:
  • 每个艺术家都在自己的创作领域里不断探索。
  • Pinyin: Měi gè yìshùjiā dōu zài zìjǐ de chuàngzuò lǐngyù lǐ bùduàn tànsuǒ.
  • English: Every artist continuously explores within their own creative domain.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses 领域 to describe an individual's personal sphere of creativity, showing its flexible application from broad industries to personal worlds.

• 领域 (lǐngyù) vs. 方面 (fāngmiàn) - “Field” vs. “Aspect”: This is the most common point of confusion.
  • 领域 (lǐngyù) is a large, established field, domain, or sector. It's the whole container.
  • 方面 (fāngmiàn) is an “aspect,” “side,” or “part” of something.
  • Correct: 他在医学领域很有名。(He is famous in the field of medicine.)
  • Correct: 我们需要从健康、经济、社会等方面考虑这个问题。(We need to consider this problem from the aspects of health, economy, society, etc.)
  • Incorrect: 他在医学方面很有名。 (While understandable, this is less precise. It sounds like he's famous for just one aspect of medicine, not the whole field.)
• 领域 (lǐngyù) vs. 范围 (fànwéi) - “Domain” vs. “Scope”:
  • 领域 (lǐngyù) refers to a categorical area of knowledge or industry.
  • 范围 (fànwéi) refers to a quantifiable range, scope, or boundary.
  • Correct: 我的研究领域是中国历史。(My research field is Chinese history.)
  • Correct: 这次考试的范围是第一到第五课。(The scope of this exam is from Lesson 1 to Lesson 5.)
  • Incorrect: 这次考试的领域是第一到第五课。 (This is wrong because an exam has a scope/range, not a field/domain.)
• Don't use it for physical areas: Do not use 领域 to ask where someone lives.
  • Correct: 你住在哪个区？(Nǐ zhù zài nǎge qū?) - Which district do you live in?
  • Incorrect: 你住在哪个领域？(Nǐ zhù zài nǎge lǐngyù?)

• 范围 (fànwéi) - Scope, range. Describes the boundaries or extent of something, rather than the category itself.
• 方面 (fāngmiàn) - Aspect, side. A less formal and smaller-scale way to talk about an “area” of a larger topic.
• 行业 (hángyè) - Industry, trade. More specific to business and professional sectors (e.g., the automotive industry, the catering industry).
• 界 (jiè) - World, circle. Often used as a suffix to mean “the world of X.” For example, `学术界 (xuéshùjiè)` means “the academic world/academia.”
• 专业 (zhuānyè) - Major (in school), specialty, profession. Refers to a person's specific, trained area of expertise.
• 范畴 (fànchóu) - Category, scope. A very formal and abstract term, often used in academic or philosophical writing. Broader than 领域.
• 地盘 (dìpán) - Territory, turf. A very informal, colloquial term for an area someone controls, often used humorously or to imply a gangster-like sense of ownership.