. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Translingual
Stroke order
Han character
李 (Kangxi radical 75, 木 +3, 7 strokes, cangjie input 木弓木 (DND ), four-corner 40407 , composition ⿱木 子 )
Derived characters
References
Kangxi Dictionary: page 511 , character 11
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14459
Dae Jaweon: page 895, character 9
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1162, character 8
Unihan data for U+674E
Chinese
Glyph origin
Old Chinese
孜
*ʔslɯ
仔
*ʔslɯ, *ʔslɯʔ
孖
*ʔslɯ, *zlɯs
子
*ʔslɯʔ
虸
*ʔslɯʔ
耔
*ʔslɯʔ
秄
*ʔslɯʔ
杍
*ʔslɯʔ
籽
*ʔslɯʔ
字
*zlɯs
茡
*zlɯs
芓
*zlɯs
牸
*zlɯs
李
*rɯʔ
Oracle bone script : Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声 , OC *rɯʔ ) : phonetic 來 ( OC *m·rɯːɡ , “ wheat ” ) + semantic 子 . The phonetic part 來 became gradually corrupted to yield 木 (“tree”).
Shuowen erroneously remarks that this is a phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声 , OC *rɯʔ ) : semantic 木 ( “ tree ” ) + phonetic 子 ( OC *ʔslɯʔ) .
Pronunciation
Mandarin
(Standard )
(Pinyin ) : lǐ (li3 )
(Zhuyin ) : ㄌㄧˇ
(Chengdu , Sichuanese Pinyin ) : ni3
(Dungan , Cyrillic and Wiktionary ) : ли (li, II)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou –Hong Kong , Jyutping ) : lei5 / lei5-2
(Taishan , Wiktionary ) : lei2
Gan (Wiktionary ) : li3
Hakka
(Sixian , PFS ) : lí
(Hailu , HRS ) : liˊ
(Meixian , Guangdong ) : li3
Jin (Wiktionary ) : li2
Northern Min (KCR ) : sā̤ / lǐ
Eastern Min (BUC ) : lī
Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing ): li3
Southern Min
(Hokkien , POJ ) : lí
(Teochew , Peng'im ) : li2
(Leizhou , Leizhou Pinyin ) : li2
Wu (Shanghai , Wugniu ) : 6 li
Xiang (Changsha , Wiktionary ) : li3
Note : lei5-2 - plum (fruit).
Note :
sā̤ - vernacular (plum);
lǐ - literary (surname).
Baxter –Sagart system 1.1 (2014 )
Character
李
Reading #
1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)
lǐ
Middle Chinese
‹ liX ›
Old Chinese
/*C.rəʔ/
English
plum
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system:
* Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence;
* Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. * as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p;
* Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix;
* Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary;
* Period "." indicates syllable boundary.
Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character
李
Reading #
1/1
No.
17869
Phonetic component
子
Rime group
之
Rime subdivision
0
Corresponding MC rime
里
Old Chinese
/*rɯʔ/
Definitions
李
plum ( tree and fruit )
† Alternative form of 理 ( lǐ , “ judge ; justice ” )
a surname , listed fourth in the Baijiaxing
李 白 ― Lǐ Bái ― Li Bai (Li Bo) (Tang dynasty poet)
李 連 杰 / 李 连 杰 [Cantonese ] ― lei5 lin4 git6 ― Jet Li (Li Lianjie or Li Yangzhong)
Usage notes
In mainland China and among its expatriates, this surname is generally romanized as "Li " in accordance with the Hanyu Pinyin system. Although an identical transliteration is used in Wade-Giles , similarity in pronunciation to the English surname makes the romanization "Lee " more common in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and elsewhere. A notable example of this is Bruce Lee .
Synonyms
Dialectal synonyms of
李子 (“plum”)
Variety
Location
Words
Formal (Written Standard Chinese )
李子
Northeastern Mandarin
Beijing
李子
Taiwan
李子
Chengde
李子
Chifeng
李子
Hulunbuir (Hailar)
李子
Heihe
李子
Qiqihar
李子
Harbin
李子
Jiamusi
李子
Baicheng
李子
Changchun
李子
Tonghua
李子
Shenyang
李子
Jinzhou
李子
Jilu Mandarin
Tianjin
李子
Tangshan
李子
Cangzhou
李子
Baoding
李子
Shijiazhuang
李子
Lijin
李子
Jinan
李子
Jiaoliao Mandarin
Dalian
李子
Dandong
李子
Yantai
李子
Yantai (Muping)
李子
Qingdao
李子
Zhucheng
李子
Central Plains Mandarin
Luoyang
灰子
Lingbao
李子 , 灰子
Jining
李子
Wanrong
李子
Linfen
李子
Shangqiu
李子
Yuanyang
李子
Zhengzhou
李子
Xinyang
李子
Baihe
李子
Xi'an
李子
Baoji
李子 , 麥李
Tianshui
李子
Xining
李子
Xuzhou
李子
Fuyang
李子 , 灰子
Lanyin Mandarin
Yinchuan
李子
Lanzhou
李子 , 鬱黃子
Dunhuang
李子
Hami
李子
Ürümqi
李子
Southwestern Mandarin
Chengdu
李子
Nanchong
李子
Dazhou
李子
Hanyuan
李子
Xichang
李子
Zigong
李子
Chongqing
李子
Wuhan
李子
Yichang
李子
Xiangyang
李子 , 灰子
Tianmen
李子
Guiyang
李子
Zunyi
李子
Bijie
李子 , 苦李
Liping
李子
Zhaotong
李子
Dali
李子
Kunming
李子
Mengzi
李子
Guilin
李子
Liuzhou
李子
Nanning (Wuming)
李果 , 李子
Jishou
李子
Changde
墨李
Hanzhong
李子
Jianghuai Mandarin
Nanjing
李子
Yangzhou
李子
Lianyungang
李子
Lianshui
李子
Nantong
李子
Anqing
李子
Wuhu
李子
Hefei
李子
Hong'an
李子
Cantonese
Guangzhou
李
Hong Kong
李 , 布冧
Hong Kong (Kam Tin Weitou)
李仔
Macau
李
Guangzhou (Panyu)
李
Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)
李仔
Guangzhou (Conghua)
李子
Guangzhou (Zengcheng)
李
Foshan
李
Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)
李
Foshan (Shunde)
李
Foshan (Sanshui)
李仔
Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)
李果
Zhongshan (Shiqi)
李
Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)
李
Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka)
李
Zhuhai (Doumen)
李
Jiangmen (Baisha)
李
Jiangmen (Xinhui)
李
Taishan
李果
Kaiping (Chikan)
李
Enping (Niujiang)
李果
Heshan (Yayao)
李仔
Dongguan
李 , 布冧
Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)
李
Nanning
李果
Nanning (Tanka)
李果
Gan
Nanchang
李子
Lichuan
李仔
Pingxiang
李子
Hakka
Meixian
李仔
Huizhou (Huicheng Bendihua)
李仔
Dongguan (Qingxi)
李仔
Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)
李仔
Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)
李
Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)
李
Yudu
李子 , 麻李子
Miaoli (N. Sixian)
李仔
Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)
李仔
Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)
李仔
Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)
李
Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)
李仔 , 李
Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)
李
Huizhou
Jixi
鬱李
Shexian
李
Jin
Taiyuan
李子
Yangyuan
李子
Datong
李子
Xinzhou
李子
Lüliang (Lishi)
李子
Changzhi
李子
Linhe
李子
Jining
李子
Hohhot
李子
Erenhot
李子
Pingshan
李子
Zhangjiakou
李子
Handan
李子
Linzhou
李哦
Suide
李子
Northern Min
Jian'ou
李仔
Eastern Min
Fuzhou
李
Southern Min
Xiamen
李仔
Quanzhou
李仔
Zhangzhou
李仔
Taipei
李仔
New Taipei (Tamsui)
李仔
New Taipei (Sanxia)
李仔
New Taipei (Pingxi)
李仔
Kaohsiung
李仔
Kaohsiung (Cijin)
李仔
Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang)
李仔
Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang)
李仔
Kaohsiung (Tianliao)
李仔
Yilan (Toucheng)
李仔
Tainan
李仔
Tainan (Anping)
李仔
Kinmen
李仔
Penghu (Magong)
李仔
Penghu (Xiyu)
李仔
Shantou
李
Jieyang
李
Haikou
李子
Zhongshan Min
Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)
李
Southern Pinghua
Nanning (Tingzi)
李果 , 李子
Wu
Shanghai
李子 , 布冧
Shanghai (Chongming)
李子
Suzhou
李子
Danyang
李子
Hangzhou
李子
Ningbo
李子
Wenzhou
李兒
Jinhua
李兒
Xiang
Changsha
李子
Descendants
→ English: Li , Lee
→ German: Li
→ Tagalog: Dy , Dee ( via Hokkien )
Compounds
References
Japanese
Kanji
李
(Jinmeiyō kanji )
Readings
Compounds
Etymology 1
Compound of 酸 ( su , “ vinegar ; sour ” ) + 桃 ( momo , “ peach ” ) .[ 1] [ 2]
Pronunciation
Noun
李( すもも ) or 李( スモモ ) • (sumomo )
plum (Prunus salicina )
Usage notes
As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana , especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as スモモ .
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Middle Chinese 李 (MC liX ).
Pronunciation
Affix
李( り ) • (ri )
plum
Derived terms
Proper noun
李( リ ) or 李( り ) • (Ri )
Japanese reading of the Chinese or Korean surname
李( リー ) or 李( りい ) • (Rī )
Japanese reading of the Chinese surname
李( イ ) or 李( い ) • (I )
Japanese reading of the South Korean surname
Derived terms
References
Further reading
Korean
Etymology
From Middle Chinese 李 (MC liX ).
Pronunciation
( initial position ) (SK Standard /Seoul ) IPA (key ) : Phonetic hangul: Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.
( non-initial position )
Hanja
Wikisource
李 (eumhun 오얏 나무 리 ( oyannamu ri ) , word-initial (South Korea) 오얏 나무 이 ( oyannamu i ) )
hanja form? of 리 /이 ( “ Lee , the second most common Korean surname .” )
( literary ) hanja form? of 리 /이 ( “ plum tree ” )
Usage notes
This hanja is spelled 이 (i ) in South Korea due to 두음 법칙 (頭音法則 , dueum beopchik ).
Compounds
References
국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전/電子字典 .
Vietnamese
Han character
李 : Hán Nôm readings: lí , lý
Chữ Hán form of Lý ( “ a surname from Chinese .” ) .
李公蘊 ― Lý Công Uẩn
a unisex given name
References