沥 meaning and stroke order
Trickle, drip, dregs; to strain
How to write 沥, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 沥
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to drip
- to strain or filter
- a trickle
How 沥 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 历 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 沥
沥 is water 氵 on the left with 历 (lì) on the right giving the sound. Picture water passing drop by drop through something, the way a strainer lets liquid drip out.
On its own 沥 is mostly found in set phrases about dripping or draining liquid. The word learners meet most often is 沥青 (lìqīng), asphalt or bitumen. Example: 这条路铺了沥青。(Zhè tiáo lù pū le lìqīng.) This road was paved with asphalt.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write the right side as 力 or 厉 because they look close to 历. The correct part is 历, which is 厂 with 力 inside, and it has no extra dot.
Common words with 沥
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 沥青 | lìqīng | asphalt; bitumen |
Questions about 沥
How many strokes are in 沥?
沥 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 沥 mean?
沥 (lì) means trickle, drip, dregs; to strain. A common word with it is 沥青 (lìqīng), meaning "asphalt; bitumen".
How do you pronounce 沥?
沥 is pronounced lì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 沥?
The radical of 沥 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 沥 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 沥?
The traditional form of 沥 is 瀝. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 沥 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
What does 淅沥 mean?
淅沥 (xīlì) is a sound word for light rain, falling leaves, or water trickling. You often see it doubled as 淅淅沥沥 to describe steady, gentle rain.
How do you say to drain something in a kitchen with 沥?
You can say 沥干 (lìgān), meaning to drain until dry, as in 把菜沥干 (bǎ cài lìgān), drain the vegetables. It is used for washed food or cooked noodles.