粒 meaning and stroke order
Grain; granule; pellet; particle; classifier for small round objects (peas, bullets, peanuts, pills, grains etc); (Tw) classifier for larger round objects (watermelon etc)
How to write 粒, stroke by stroke
11 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 粒
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- grain; granule; pellet; particle
- classifier for small round objects (peas, bullets, peanuts, pills, grains etc)
- (Tw) classifier for larger round objects (watermelon etc)
How 粒 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Grain.
米 gives the meaning and 立 hints at the sound.
Radical: 米 (rice), shared by 50 characters on this site.
How to remember 粒
粒 combines 米 (mǐ, rice) as the meaning part with 立 (lì) as the sound part. Picture a single grain of rice 米 standing up 立 on its own, one small granule.
粒 is mostly used as a measure word for small round things like rice, beans, pills, and seeds, and in words such as 颗粒 (kēlì) and 粒子 (lìzǐ). Example: 一粒米也不要浪费。 (Yí lì mǐ yě bú yào làngfèi.) Don't waste even a single grain of rice.
Common mistake: Learners often use 颗 (kē) and 粒 (lì) interchangeably. 颗 works for many round things, but 粒 is best for very small items like grains and pills. Also, do not write the left side as 木 instead of 米.
Common words with 粒
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 粒子 | lìzǐ | (elementary) particle; grain | |
| 颗粒 | kēlì | kernel; granule | |
| 微粒 | wēilì | speck; particle | |
| 米粒 | mǐlì | grain of rice; granule |
粒 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 粒
How many strokes are in 粒?
粒 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 粒 mean?
粒 (lì) means grain; granule; pellet; particle; classifier for small round objects (peas, bullets, peanuts, pills, grains etc); (Tw) classifier for larger round objects (watermelon etc). A common word with it is 粒子 (lìzǐ), meaning "(elementary) particle; grain".
How do you pronounce 粒?
粒 is pronounced lì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 粒?
The radical of 粒 is 米, which carries the idea of "rice". Dictionaries list 粒 under this radical.
Is 粒 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 粒 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 粒 used in Taiwan differently from mainland China?
Yes. In Taiwan, 粒 can also count larger round objects such as a watermelon. In mainland usage it usually stays with small items, and 个 (gè) or 颗 would be used for bigger fruit.
What does 粒子 mean in science?
粒子 (lìzǐ) means a particle, including elementary particles in physics. It can also simply mean a grain or small bit of something.