Meaning of 厘米
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- centimeter
How to use 厘米
厘米 works as a measure word directly after a number, with no extra classifier needed. It is common for height, length, and size. For example: 他身高一百八十厘米。(Tā shēngāo yībǎi bāshí límǐ.) He is 180 centimeters tall.
米 (mǐ) means rice, but it also sounds like the 'me' in 'meter,' so it became the word for meter. Add 厘 (lí), a word for a tiny fraction, and you get a tiny piece of a meter: the centimeter.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 厘米 (límǐ, centimeter) and 毫米 (háomǐ, millimeter), since both end in 米. Remember that 毫 is the smaller unit, so 1厘米 equals 10毫米.
厘米 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
厘 lí · one thousandth · 9 strokes
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米 mǐ · uncooked rice · 6 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 厘米.
Questions about 厘米
What does 厘米 mean?
厘米 (límǐ) means "centimeter" and is used as a measure word.
How do you write 厘米?
厘米 is made of 2 characters: 厘 (9 strokes), 米 (6 strokes). That is 15 strokes in total.
Is 厘米 an HSK word?
Yes. 厘米 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 厘米 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 厘米 is written 釐米.
Do Chinese people use 公分 instead of 厘米?
Yes, 公分 (gōngfēn) is a common spoken word for centimeter, especially in Taiwan and in everyday speech. 厘米 is the standard term in mainland textbooks and written Chinese.
How do you write square or cubic centimeters in Chinese?
Follow the pattern of 平方米 and 立方米. A square centimeter is 平方厘米 (píngfāng límǐ) and a cubic centimeter is 立方厘米 (lìfāng límǐ).