痢 meaning and stroke order
Dysentery
How to write 痢, stroke by stroke
12 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
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Meaning of 痢
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- dysentery
How 痢 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Sickness.
疒 gives the meaning and 利 hints at the sound.
Radical: 疒 (sickness), shared by 127 characters on this site.
How to remember 痢
痢 combines the sickness radical 疒 with 利 (lì), which gives the sound. Picture an illness that makes things run smoothly in the worst way, since 利 also suggests 'flowing' in words like 流利 (liúlì).
痢 almost never appears alone. It is used in the word 痢疾 (lìji), the common term for dysentery in medical and everyday contexts. Example: 他得了痢疾。(Tā dé le lìji.) He caught dysentery.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 利 or 俐 when they mean 痢 because all three are read lì. Remember that only the disease word takes the 疒 radical on the outside.
Common words with 痢
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 痢疾 | lìji | dysentery |
痢 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 痢
How many strokes are in 痢?
痢 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 痢 mean?
痢 (lì) means dysentery. A common word with it is 痢疾 (lìji), meaning "dysentery".
How do you pronounce 痢?
痢 is pronounced lì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 痢?
The radical of 痢 is 疒, which carries the idea of "sickness". Dictionaries list 痢 under this radical.
How is 痢疾 pronounced in everyday speech?
The dictionary gives lìji, with 疾 in a neutral tone. You will also hear lìjí with a full second tone, especially in careful or formal speech.
Is 痢疾 the same as ordinary diarrhea?
No. Ordinary diarrhea is 拉肚子 (lā dùzi) in casual speech or 腹泻 (fùxiè) in formal speech. 痢疾 refers specifically to dysentery, a more serious infection.