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慄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
慄lìchestnut tree; chestnuts; surnamex, 13 strokes, radical 忄
lì(li4) T4
  1. 1chestnut tree; chestnuts; surname
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

慄lì(li4)

The character 慄 (lì) primarily refers to the chestnut tree and its nuts, which are a popular food in Chinese cuisine. It can also be a surname, though this usage is less common. In culinary contexts, chestnuts are often associated with autumn and traditional dishes, emphasizing their significance in seasonal cooking.

Strokes13Radical忄
Cultural Note

Chestnuts, represented by the character 慄, hold a special place in Chinese culture, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival when they are often enjoyed as a seasonal treat. They are also featured in various traditional dishes, symbolizing prosperity.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chestnut tree filled with shiny, brown chestnuts. The character 慄 has a '心' (heart) at the bottom, representing the heart of the chestnut, while the '毛' (hair) above suggests the prickly outer shell. Visualize harvesting these chestnuts with care to remember 'lì' and its meaning.

Meanings of 慄

lì(li4)
1chestnut tree; chestnuts; surname
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 慄

慄Simplified
13Strokes
忄Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 慄

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Podcast: 慄

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AI Study Notes for 慄

Usage Notes

慄 is not commonly used in daily conversation, so learners may encounter it more in written texts or specific culinary discussions. Be careful with the tone; it is pronounced with the fourth tone (lì), which can change the meaning if mispronounced. Common collocations include '栗子' (lìzi), meaning chestnut.

HSK Study Tips

Since 慄 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, learners should focus on related words like 栗 (lì) for chestnut, which is more commonly used. Understanding its components can help with recognizing other characters that share similar elements.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 慄 with other similar-sounding characters like 栗 (lì), which can lead to misunderstandings regarding its meaning. For example, saying '我喜欢慄子' (wǒ xǐhuān lìzi) instead of '我喜欢栗子' (wǒ xǐhuān lìzi) to mean 'I like chestnuts' is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 慄

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Etymology of 慄

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

A tree 木 bearing nuts 覀; compare 果

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 慄

  1. 1The giveawayA tree 木 bearing nuts 覀; compare 果
  2. 2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.

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

Want the full history of 慄? 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 慄?

Decomposition of 慄

IDS Structure⿰忄栗
慄Full Character
=
忄xin1
left
栗li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 慄?

How to say chestnut tree; chestnuts; surname in Chinese

“chestnut tree; chestnuts; surname” in Chinese is慄lì

The character 慄 (lì) primarily refers to the chestnut tree and its nuts, which are a popular food in Chinese cuisine. It can also be a surname, though this usage is less common. In culinary contexts, chestnuts are often associated with autumn and traditional dishes, emphasizing their significance in seasonal cooking.

When to use 慄

慄 is not commonly used in daily conversation, so learners may encounter it more in written texts or specific culinary discussions. Be careful with the tone; it is pronounced with the fourth tone (lì), which can change the meaning if mispronounced. Common collocations include '栗子' (lìzi), meaning chestnut.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 慄 with other similar-sounding characters like 栗 (lì), which can lead to misunderstandings regarding its meaning. For example, saying '我喜欢慄子' (wǒ xǐhuān lìzi) instead of '我喜欢栗子' (wǒ xǐhuān lìzi) to mean 'I like chestnuts' is incorrect.

Write 慄

慄

Practice writing 慄 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 慄

Words Containing This Character20
栗lìafraid慄
栗子chestnut
板栗Chinese chestnut
颤栗to tremble顫慄
不寒而栗shudder不寒而慄
栗色maroon (color)
战栗to tremble戰慄
醋栗gooseberry
苗栗Miaoli city and county in northwest Taiwan
火中取栗fig. to be sb's cat's-paw
苗栗县Miaoli county in northwest Taiwan苗栗縣
上栗县Shangli county in Pingxiang 萍鄉|萍乡, Jiangxi上栗縣
上栗Shangli county in Pingxiang 萍鄉|萍乡, Jiangxi
麻栗坡县Malipo county in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture 文山壯族苗族自治州|文山壮族苗族自治州[Wén​shān​Zhuàng​zú​Miáo​zú​zì​zhì​zhōu], Yunnan麻栗坡縣
麻栗坡Malipo county in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao autonomous prefecture 文山壯族苗族自治州|文山壮族苗族自治州[Wén​shān​Zhuàng​zú​Miáo​zú​zì​zhì​zhōu], Yunnan
股栗to shake like an aspen股慄
震栗trembling震慄
苗栗市Miaoli city in northwest Taiwan, capital of Miaoli county
栗然shuddering慄然
战战栗栗to tremble with fear戰戰慄慄
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 栗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 慄

慄 is primarily used to refer to the chestnut tree and its nuts.

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