釐 meaning and stroke order
One thousandth
How to write 釐, stroke by stroke
18 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
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Meaning of 釐
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- one hundredth
- centi-
How 釐 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character.
厘 hints at the sound.
Radical: 里 (unit of distance equal to 0.5km), shared by 5 characters on this site.
How to remember 釐
釐 (lí) has 厘 (lí) inside it, and 厘 gives the whole character its sound. Picture a tiny measuring mark on a ruler. That small fraction of a unit is what 釐 is about.
釐 is the traditional, older form of the measure 厘, meaning a hundredth or a thousandth of a unit depending on the system. You will mostly see it in traditional texts, old documents, or the phrase 釐清 (líqīng), to clarify, which is common in Taiwan. Example: 我們要釐清這個問題。(Wǒmen yào líqīng zhège wèntí.) We need to clarify this issue.
Common mistake: Learners often write 釐米 for centimeter in Mainland contexts, but the standard simplified form is 厘米 (límǐ). Also do not confuse 厘 (lí) with 里 (lǐ), which is third tone and means a Chinese mile.
Common words with 釐
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 釐米 | límǐ | centimeter | HSK 4 |
Questions about 釐
How many strokes are in 釐?
釐 is written with 18 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 釐 mean?
釐 (lí) means one thousandth. A common word with it is 厘米 (límǐ), meaning "centimeter".
How do you pronounce 釐?
釐 is pronounced lí, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 釐?
The radical of 釐 is 里, which carries the idea of "unit of distance equal to 0.5km". Dictionaries list 釐 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 釐?
釐 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 厘, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 釐 one hundredth or one thousandth?
It depends on the unit. In 厘米 (límǐ) it means one hundredth of a meter. In traditional weights and money, 釐 was one thousandth of a larger unit such as a tael. That is why dictionaries list both senses.
What does 釐清 mean and where is it used?
釐清 (líqīng) means to clarify or sort out, for example facts or responsibilities. It is especially common in Taiwan and in formal writing. In Mainland simplified texts it is usually written 厘清.