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莉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
jasminenrt, 10 strokes, radical 艹, Very Hard
(li4) T4
  1. 1jasmine
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(li4)

The character 莉 (lì) refers specifically to jasmine, a fragrant flower commonly associated with beauty and elegance in Chinese culture. It is often used in contexts related to nature, gardening, and symbolic expressions of purity and love.

Strokes10RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, jasmine is often associated with love and admiration, and its fragrance is celebrated in poetry and artwork. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine for its soothing properties.

Memory Tip

Imagine a delicate jasmine flower (莉) blooming in a lush garden. The character's left side resembles a flower, while the right side can remind you of a graceful figure tending to a plant, helping you remember that 'lì' sounds like 'lee' and means jasmine.

Meanings of 莉

(li4)
1jasmine
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 莉

Simplified
10Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 莉

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 莉

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a delicate jasmine flower (莉) blooming in a lush garden. The character's left side resembles a flower, while the right side can remind you of a graceful figure tending to a plant, helping you remember that 'lì' sounds like 'lee' and means jasmine.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the context in which you use 莉, as it is more common in literary or poetic contexts rather than everyday conversation. A common mistake is confusing it with other floral characters, so ensure you use '莉' specifically when referring to jasmine.

HSK Study Tips

Although 莉 is not a high-frequency HSK word, it connects well with other nature-related vocabulary, especially in HSK levels 3 and above. Focus on how it relates to discussions about flowers and plants, as well as its symbolic meanings.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, jasmine is often associated with love and admiration, and its fragrance is celebrated in poetry and artwork. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine for its soothing properties.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 莉 with similar floral characters, such as 花 (huā) for flower in general. Remember that 莉 specifically refers to jasmine, so use it only in that context.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 莉

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Etymology of 莉

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

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 利 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

flower

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 莉?

Decomposition of 莉

IDS Structure⿱艹利
Full Character
=
cao3
top
Li4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 莉?

Write 莉

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 莉

莉 carries one core meaning. Below you'll find the patterns that show how it combines with other words, plus example sentences pulled directly from native usage.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

伯爵茶、大吉岭茶和茉____花茶是最畅销的几种传统茶叶。

Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Jasmine are best-selling traditional teas.

Example Sentences for 莉 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
伯爵茶、大吉岭茶和茉莉花茶是最畅销的几种传统茶叶。

bó jué chá、 、 dà jí lǐng chá hé mò lì huā chá shì zuì chàng xiāo de jī zhǒng chuán tǒng chá。

Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Jasmine are best-selling traditional teas.
2
我破产了,莉薇,而且我欠了几百万美元的债。

wǒ pò chǎn le, , lì, wēi , ér qiě wǒ qiàn le jī bǎi wàn měi yuán。

I'm broke, Livy, and I owe a couple of million dollars.
3
创作这本书的想法来源于跟菲莉帕·布鲁斯特的谈话。

chuàng zuò zhè běn shū de xiǎng fǎ lái yuán yú gēn fēi lì pà· · bù lǔ sī tè de tán。

The idea for this book grew out of conversations with Philippa Brewster.
4
敲门声打断了他,萨莉·皮尔斯走了进来。

qiāo mén shēng dǎ duàn le tā, , sà· lì · pí ěr sī zǒu le。

A tap on the door interrupted him and Sally Pierce came in.
5
埃莉诺回来的时候,我还闷闷不乐地坐在长沙发上。

āi lì nuò huí lái de shí hòu, , wǒ huán mèn mèn bù lè dì zuò zài cháng shā fā。

When Eleanor returned, I was still sitting glumly on the settee.
6
我相信埃莉诺在妇女中所做的工作会见成效的。

wǒ xiāng xìn āi lì nuò zài fù nǚ zhōng suǒ zuò de gōng zuò huì jiàn chéng xiào de。

Eleanor's work among the women will, I trust, bear fruit.
7
莉翻了个身趴下,开始晒后背。

lì fān le gè shēn pā xià, , kāi shǐ shài hòu。

Leigh rolled over on her stomach to tan her back.
8
当阿蒂彻底不再上门后,朱莉又找了个男人。

dāng ā dì chè dǐ bù zài shàng mén hòu, , zhū lì yòu zhǎo le gè nán。

When Artie stopped calling altogether, Julie found a new man.
9
埃米莉围着她妈妈转个不停。

āi mǐ lì wéi zháo tā mā mā zhuǎn gè bù tíng。

Emily kept circling around her mother.
10
我为莉莉读了个故事,然后给她盖好被子。

wǒ wéi lì lì dú le gè gù shì, , rán hòu gěi tā gài hǎo bèi。

I read Lili a story and tucked her in her own bed.

Cultural Notes for 莉

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, jasmine is often associated with love and admiration, and its fragrance is celebrated in poetry and artwork. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine for its soothing properties.

Word Family of 莉

Words Containing This Character4
jasmine
茉莉jasmine
朱莉娅Julia (name)朱莉婭
娜塔莉Natalie (name)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 莉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 莉

It is pronounced as 'lì' with a falling tone.