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歷 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
歷lìhistory; calendarzg, 16 strokes, radical 止
lì(li4) T4
  1. 1history; calendar
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

歷lì(li4)

The character 歷 (lì) primarily means 'history' or 'to experience.' It is often used in contexts relating to historical events, timelines, and personal experiences. In addition, it can refer to calendars, indicating the passage of time and significant dates.

Strokes16Radical止
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, history is highly valued, and understanding one's history is crucial for personal identity and societal context. The character 歷 is often used in educational settings to discuss historical events and their significance.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person looking through a history book (the character's form suggests a person looking back) that has many layers (the horizontal strokes represent layers of time). The sound 'lì' can be remembered as 'lee,' a historian recounting events.

Meanings of 歷

lì(li4)
1history; calendar
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 歷

歷Simplified
16Strokes
止Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 歷

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Podcast: 歷

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AI Study Notes for 歷

Quick Contrast

历 (lì, history) vs 史 (shǐ, history) — use 歷 for personal experiences or timelines, while 史 is more formal and academic.

Usage Notes

When using 歷, it is common to pair it with words like '史' (shǐ, history) to form '歷史' (lìshǐ, history) or '年' (nián, year) to mean 'calendar year.' Be cautious with pronunciation, as confusing it with similar-sounding characters can lead to misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

While 歷 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other characters related to time and history, such as '史' (shǐ) and '時' (shí). Students should focus on its structure and common collocations to deepen their understanding of time-related vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 歷 with similar characters like '历' (lì), which can cause confusion in writing. Remember that 歷 is the traditional form, while 历 is simplified; ensure you use the correct form based on context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 歷

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Etymology of 歷

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

Simplified form of 歷. In simplified Chinese 历 is also used to mean "calendar", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 曆.

Memory Hint

calendar

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 歷

Simplified form of 歷. In simplified Chinese 历 is also used to mean "calendar", while in traditional Chinese this meaning is written with a separate character 曆.

  1. 1The meaning half厤 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half止 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaycalendar
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 歷? 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 歷?

Decomposition of 歷

IDS Structure⿸厤止
歷Full Character
=
厤li4
enclosing
止zhi3
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 歷?

How to say history; calendar in Chinese

“history; calendar” in Chinese is歷lì

The character 歷 (lì) primarily means 'history' or 'to experience.' It is often used in contexts relating to historical events, timelines, and personal experiences. In addition, it can refer to calendars, indicating the passage of time and significant dates.

When to use 歷

When using 歷, it is common to pair it with words like '史' (shǐ, history) to form '歷史' (lìshǐ, history) or '年' (nián, year) to mean 'calendar year.' Be cautious with pronunciation, as confusing it with similar-sounding characters can lead to misunderstandings.

歷 or something close to it

历 (lì, history) vs 史 (shǐ, history) — use 歷 for personal experiences or timelines, while 史 is more formal and academic.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 歷 with similar characters like '历' (lì), which can cause confusion in writing. Remember that 歷 is the traditional form, while 历 is simplified; ensure you use the correct form based on context.

Write 歷

歷

Practice writing 歷 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 歷

Words Containing This Character20
历史lìshǐhistory歷史
经历jīnglìexperience經歷
历史上historical歷史上
学历xuélìeducational background學歷
简历jiǎnlìrésumé簡歷
历程lìchéngcourse歷程
亚历山大Alexander (name)亞歷山大
病历medical record病歷
历lìall歷
历史性historic歷史性
日历rìlìcalendar日曆
历时lìshíto last歷時
历经lìjīngto experience歷經
历来lìláialways歷來
来历láilìhistory來歷
农历nónglìthe lunar calendar農曆
历险to experience adventures歷險
历代lìdàisuccessive generations歷代
资历zīlìqualifications資歷
历年over the years歷年
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 历史 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 歷

Yes, 歷 is used in both historical discussions and in terms like '歷史', which are common in education and media.

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