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沥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
沥lìtrickle, drip, dregs; to strainn, 7 strokes, radical 氵, rank #63254, Very Hard
沥lìto dripunknown, 7 strokes, radical 氵, rank #63254, Very Hard
沥lìto strain or filterunknown, 7 strokes, radical 氵, rank #63254, Very Hard
沥lìa trickleunknown, 7 strokes, radical 氵, rank #63254, Very Hard
lì(li4) T4
  1. 1trickle, drip, dregs; to strain
  2. 2to drip
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March 24, 2026

沥(瀝)lì(li4)

The character 沥 (lì) primarily refers to the act of dripping or trickling, often in the context of liquids. It can also denote the residual dregs left behind after straining or filtering a liquid, emphasizing the separation of unwanted components from a desired one. This character is commonly used in culinary contexts, such as in cooking or beverage preparation.

Strokes7Radical氵Frequency#63254DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cooking, straining liquids is a common practice to ensure purity and flavor, making 沥 a relevant term in culinary discussions. The process of straining tea or broth reflects the importance of clarity and refinement in Chinese cuisine.

Memory Tip

Imagine a leaky tap that drips water slowly, creating a sound like 'lì.' Picture the water trickling down and forming small puddles, which helps you visualize the character's meaning of 'drip' or 'trickle.' The radical 水 (water) suggests its connection to liquids.

Meanings of 沥

lì(li4)
1trickle, drip, dregs; to strain
2to drip
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 沥

沥Simplified
瀝Traditional
7Strokes
氵Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 沥

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Podcast: 沥

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AI Study Notes for 沥

Quick Contrast

滴 (dī) refers specifically to the action of dripping, while 沥 (lì) emphasizes the process of straining or filtering liquids.

Usage Notes

Learners might confuse 沥 with similar-sounding characters due to its subtle pronunciation. It’s often used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in recipes. Be cautious of using the correct tones; the first tone (lì) is crucial for clarity.

HSK Study Tips

While 沥 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects to related words like 滴 (dī, to drip) and 流 (liú, to flow), which are found in HSK levels 1 and 2. Focus on the context of liquids and actions related to them to build comprehension.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 沥 with the character 漏 (lòu), which means 'to leak.' For example, saying '我沥水' (wǒ lì shuǐ) incorrectly when they mean 'I leaked water' instead of the intended 'I drained water.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 沥

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Etymology of 沥

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

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 历 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瀝.

Memory Hint

water

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 沥

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 历 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瀝.

  1. 1The meaning half氵 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half历 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaywater
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 沥? 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 沥?

Decomposition of 沥

IDS Structure⿰氵历
沥Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
历li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 沥?

How to say trickle, drip, dregs; to strain in Chinese

“trickle, drip, dregs; to strain” in Chinese is沥lì

The character 沥 (lì) primarily refers to the act of dripping or trickling, often in the context of liquids. It can also denote the residual dregs left behind after straining or filtering a liquid, emphasizing the separation of unwanted components from a desired one. This character is commonly used in culinary contexts, such as in cooking or beverage preparation.

When to use 沥

Learners might confuse 沥 with similar-sounding characters due to its subtle pronunciation. It’s often used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in recipes. Be cautious of using the correct tones; the first tone (lì) is crucial for clarity.

沥 or something close to it

滴 (dī) refers specifically to the action of dripping, while 沥 (lì) emphasizes the process of straining or filtering liquids.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 沥 with the character 漏 (lòu), which means 'to leak.' For example, saying '我沥水' (wǒ lì shuǐ) incorrectly when they mean 'I leaked water' instead of the intended 'I drained water.'

Write 沥

沥

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

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Grammar Patterns of 沥

沥 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

意大利面煮熟以后立即将水____干。

Drain the pasta as soon as it is cooked.

Example Sentences for 沥 (4)

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1
意大利面煮熟以后立即将水沥干。

yì dà lì miàn zhǔ shú yǐ hòu lì jí jiāng shuǐ lì gān。

Drain the pasta as soon as it is cooked.
2
屋顶涂抹了一层沥青.

wū dǐng tú mǒ le yī céng lì qīng.

The roof was covered with tar.
3
我还是持续不断地拾得了一点学问的余沥.

wǒ huán shì chí xù bù duàn dì shí dé le yī diǎn xué wèn de yú lì.

I did steadily pick up some crumbs of knowledge.
4
沥清铀矿和铜铀云母比纯铀的放射性强得多.

lì qīng yóu kuàng hé tóng yóu yún mǔ bǐ chún yóu de fàng shè xìng qiáng dé duō.

Pitchblende and chalcolite are much more radioactive than uranium itself.

Word Family of 沥

Words Containing This Character7
沥青asphalt瀝青
沥lìto drip瀝
呕心沥血to work one's heart out嘔心瀝血
淅沥(onom.) patter of rain淅瀝
披肝沥胆lit. to open one's liver and drip gall (idiom); wholehearted loyalty披肝瀝膽
沥青铀矿pitchblende (uranium ore)瀝青鈾礦
剖肝沥胆to be completely honest and sincere (idiom)剖肝瀝膽
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 沥青 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 沥

You can say, '将水沥干' (jiāng shuǐ lì gān), which means 'to drain the water.'

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