Learn a Chinese Character - 里

1. Character Basics

Radical: 里 (li radical) or 土 (earth radical)

Stroke Count: 7

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: lǐ (Third tone)

3. Meaning

Inside; inner; within; lining; mile (Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 meters); village; neighborhood; household; place; location; interior; heart; core; depth; among; during

4. Common Words

• 里面 (lǐmiàn) - inside; interior
• 公里 (gōnglǐ) - kilometer (km)
• 里面的 (lǐmiàn de) - inner; internal
• 这里 (zhèlǐ) - here
• 那里 (nàlǐ) - there
• 家里 (jiālǐ) - home; at home
• 心里 (xīnlǐ) - in one's heart; mentally
• 邻里 (línlǐ) - neighbors; neighborhood

5. Grammar & Usage

The character "里" has several important functions in Chinese grammar:

Grammar Patterns:

• As a noun suffix meaning "inside" or "within": place word + 里 (e.g., 房间里 (fángjiān lǐ) - inside the room, 书包里 (shūbāo lǐ) - inside the bag)
• As a location pronoun when combined with demonstratives: 这/那 + 里 (e.g., 这里 (zhèlǐ) - here, 那里 (nàlǐ) - there)
• As a unit of distance: 公里 (gōnglǐ) - kilometer
• As a part of compound nouns referring to places or locations: 家/街/城 + 里 (e.g., 家里 (jiālǐ) - home, 街里 (jiēlǐ) - neighborhood)
• In idiomatic expressions: "万里长征" (wànlǐ chángzhēng) - Long March (literally "ten thousand li long march")

6. Cultural Background

The character "里" has deep cultural roots in Chinese history and society. Originally, "里" referred to a traditional Chinese unit of distance, approximately 500 meters, as well as a community organization unit.

In ancient China, a "里" was both a geographic measurement and a social unit, typically consisting of about 25-100 households. This community structure played an important role in traditional Chinese society for governance, tax collection, and mutual assistance.

The concept of "里" also appears in many Chinese idioms and proverbs. For example, "万里长城" (wànlǐ chángchéng) refers to the Great Wall of China, literally meaning "ten thousand li long wall." Another example is "不远万里" (bù yuǎn wànlǐ), which means "to go to great lengths" or "to travel thousands of miles."

In Chinese culture, the character "里" is often associated with concepts of home, community, and belonging. Phrases like "邻里之间" (línlǐ zhī jiān) emphasize the importance of harmonious relationships between neighbors, which has been a core value in Chinese society for thousands of years.

The traditional unit of distance "里" has largely been replaced by the metric system in modern China, but it still appears in certain contexts, such as in historical references or in idiomatic expressions.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

The character "里" (lǐ) can be remembered by breaking it down into its components:

• The character consists of a horizontal line on top, followed by a "田" (tián, field) character in the middle, and a "土" (tǔ, earth/soil) character at the bottom

To remember the character, you can think of it as representing "a field (田) on earth (土) enclosed within boundaries," which connects to its meanings of a defined area, neighborhood, or village.

Another mnemonic: Visualize the top horizontal line as the roof of a house, the middle part as rooms, and the bottom part as the foundation, which can help you remember that "里" is often associated with homes and places.

Practice writing the character following the stroke order: start with the top horizontal stroke, then write the "田" component, and finally the "土" component at the bottom.

Associate the character with common phrases like "这里" (zhèlǐ - here) and "那里" (nàlǐ - there) to reinforce its use as a location pronoun.

Remember that the pronunciation is "lǐ" with a third tone, which is a dipping tone in Mandarin Chinese.