This is a basic library entry. The longer editorial profile for this name is still being expanded.
Character by character
spirit, soul; spiritual world
sesame; a purplish or brown mushroom thought to have miraculous powers; 'a divine and felicitous plant' (Karlgren)
Why it works
灵芝 (Líng Zhī) is a classical Chinese given name. 灵 means spirit, soul; spiritual world; 芝 means sesame; a purplish or brown mushroom thought to have miraculous powers; 'a divine and felicitous plant' (Karlgren). It comes from Song Ci Sanbaishou (宋詞三百首) / Three Hundred Song Ci, where the text reads “水調歌頭·遊覽：我為靈芝仙草” — I am the lingzhi, the immortal herb. It is otherworldly and precious. It is also a medicine/herb name; some readers may hear the product first. It is a literary name rather than a common modern choice; check the full name aloud with your surname.
Sound
The pinyin is Líng Zhī. Say it slowly, then at normal speed. If a tone feels difficult, practice the syllable alone before putting the full name together. A Chinese speaker will usually understand an imperfect tone in context, but the closer you get, the more natural the name feels.
How to introduce it
“My Chinese name is 灵芝. 灵 — spirit, soul; spiritual world; 芝 — sesame; a purplish or brown mushroom thought to have miraculous powers; 'a divine and felicitous plant' (Karlgren).”
A common full-name pattern would be 李灵芝 (Lǐ Líng Zhī), using the surname 李. You can also use no surname at all.
Source
Song Ci Sanbaishou (宋詞三百首) / Three Hundred Song Ci · 水調歌頭·遊覽：我為靈芝仙草
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