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笠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
笠lìbamboo hat; bamboo coveringnr, 11 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #13301, Very Hard
笠lìbamboo rain hatunknown, 11 strokes, radical ⺮, rank #13301, Very Hard
lì(li4) T4
  1. 1bamboo hat; bamboo covering
  2. 2bamboo rain hat
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

笠lì(li4)

The character 笠 (lì) refers to a traditional bamboo hat typically worn for protection against rain or sun. It is commonly used in rural China and can also symbolize agricultural life. This character may appear in contexts related to farming, outdoor activities, or traditional culture.

Strokes11Radical⺮Frequency#13301DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the bamboo hat is not just practical but also a symbol of agrarian life, often seen in traditional paintings and photography of rural landscapes.

Memory Tip

Imagine a farmer wearing a large, round bamboo hat (笠) to shield himself from the sun. The top of the hat looks like a 'lid' (the pronunciation 'lì' sounds like 'lid') that keeps the rain off his head.

Meanings of 笠

lì(li4)
1bamboo hat; bamboo covering
2bamboo rain hat
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 笠

笠Simplified
11Strokes
⺮Radical
人名míngcíproper noun (pr.n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 笠

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Podcast: 笠

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AI Study Notes for 笠

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 笠 with similar characters like 伞 (sǎn), which means umbrella. 笠 is more specific to bamboo hats and is used in informal contexts related to rural life. Be careful with tones; mispronouncing it can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Though 笠 is not included in the HSK levels, it complements vocabulary related to weather and clothing. Students should focus on recognizing it in context, especially in stories or descriptions of rural life.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use the character 笠 to refer to any type of hat, confusing it with 帽子 (màozi). Remember that 笠 specifically denotes a bamboo hat.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 笠

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Etymology of 笠

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 立 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

bamboo

Semantic (meaning)⺮
+
Phonetic (sound)立
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 笠

Phonosemantic compound. ⺮ represents the meaning and 立 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half⺮ carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half立 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaybamboo
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 笠? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 笠?

Decomposition of 笠

IDS Structure⿱⺮立
笠Full Character
=
⺮zhu2
top
立Li4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 笠?

How to say bamboo hat; bamboo covering in Chinese

“bamboo hat; bamboo covering” in Chinese is笠lì

The character 笠 (lì) refers to a traditional bamboo hat typically worn for protection against rain or sun. It is commonly used in rural China and can also symbolize agricultural life. This character may appear in contexts related to farming, outdoor activities, or traditional culture.

When to use 笠

Learners often confuse 笠 with similar characters like 伞 (sǎn), which means umbrella. 笠 is more specific to bamboo hats and is used in informal contexts related to rural life. Be careful with tones; mispronouncing it can lead to misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use the character 笠 to refer to any type of hat, confusing it with 帽子 (màozi). Remember that 笠 specifically denotes a bamboo hat.

Write 笠

笠

Practice writing 笠 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 笠

Words Containing This Character2
笠lìbamboo rain hat
斗笠conical bamboo hat
Exercise 1 of 2

Compound Meaning

What does 笠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 笠

笠 refers specifically to a bamboo hat, while 伞 refers to an umbrella used for rain or sun protection.

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