砾 meaning and stroke order
Gravel, pebbles
How to write 砾, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 砾
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) gravel; small stone
How 砾 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Stone.
石 gives the meaning and 乐 hints at the sound.
Radical: 石 (stone), shared by 114 characters on this site.
How to remember 砾
Think of a stone 石 (shí) on the left and 乐 on the right giving the sound. Small stones scattered on a path make a happy crunching noise when you walk on gravel.
砾 (lì) is a bound form, so it appears inside words rather than alone. The most common word is 瓦砾 (wǎlì), rubble or debris, and you will also see 砾石 (lìshí) for gravel. Example: 地震后到处都是瓦砾。(Dìzhèn hòu dàochù dōu shì wǎlì.) After the earthquake there was rubble everywhere.
Common mistake: Learners often read 砾 as lè or yuè because of the 乐 component, but it is pronounced lì with a fourth tone. It is also easy to confuse with 砺 (lì, whetstone), which has 厉 on the right instead of 乐.
Common words with 砾
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 瓦砾 | wǎlì | rubble; debris |
砾 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 砾
How many strokes are in 砾?
砾 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 砾 mean?
砾 (lì) means gravel, pebbles. A common word with it is 瓦砾 (wǎlì), meaning "rubble; debris".
How do you pronounce 砾?
砾 is pronounced lì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 砾?
The radical of 砾 is 石, which carries the idea of "stone". Dictionaries list 砾 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 砾?
The traditional form of 砾 is 礫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 砾 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Can I use 砾 by itself to mean a pebble?
Not usually. In modern Chinese 砾 needs a partner, as in 砾石 (lìshí) or 瓦砾 (wǎlì). For a single pebble in everyday speech, people say 小石子 (xiǎo shízǐ) or 石头 (shítou).
What is the difference between 砾 and 沙?
沙 (shā) means sand, the very fine grains. 砾 refers to larger bits of stone, like gravel or small broken stones.