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癧 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
癧lìscrofulous swellings or lumpszg, 21 strokes, radical 疒
lì(li4) T4
  1. 1scrofulous swellings or lumps
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March 24, 2026

癧lì(li4)

The character 癧 (lì) refers to scrofulous swellings or lumps, typically associated with tuberculosis of the lymph nodes. In medical contexts, it describes a condition where lumps appear due to chronic infections, often found in children. This term is specific and not commonly used in everyday conversation.

Strokes21Radical疒
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, conditions like 癧 are often discussed in the context of imbalance within the body, reflecting the holistic approach to health that is prevalent in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'lump' (lì) that is 'licked' by a dog, causing it to swell. The character 癧 has the radical 疒 (disease) that hints at its medical meaning, and the pronunciation 'lì' can be remembered by associating it with 'licking' a lump.

Meanings of 癧

lì(li4)
1scrofulous swellings or lumps
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 癧

癧Simplified
21Strokes
疒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 癧

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Podcast: 癧

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AI Study Notes for 癧

Usage Notes

This term is primarily used in medical or historical discussions, not in casual conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding terms that relate to other conditions or symptoms. The tone is neutral and should be pronounced clearly to avoid misunderstandings.

HSK Study Tips

Since 癧 (lì) is not part of the standard HSK curriculum, learners at this level should focus on recognizing it in specialized texts rather than using it in conversation. It can serve as a bridge to understanding more complex medical terminology in Chinese.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 癧 (lì) with similar terms related to other health conditions, leading to miscommunication. For example, using 癧 when they mean a general 'swell' (肿) can cause confusion.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 癧

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Etymology of 癧

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

sickness

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 癧

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half歷 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysickness
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 癧? 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 癧?

Decomposition of 癧

IDS Structure⿸疒歷
癧Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
歷li4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 癧?

How to say scrofulous swellings or lumps in Chinese

“scrofulous swellings or lumps” in Chinese is癧lì

The character 癧 (lì) refers to scrofulous swellings or lumps, typically associated with tuberculosis of the lymph nodes. In medical contexts, it describes a condition where lumps appear due to chronic infections, often found in children. This term is specific and not commonly used in everyday conversation.

When to use 癧

This term is primarily used in medical or historical discussions, not in casual conversation. Be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding terms that relate to other conditions or symptoms. The tone is neutral and should be pronounced clearly to avoid misunderstandings.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 癧 (lì) with similar terms related to other health conditions, leading to miscommunication. For example, using 癧 when they mean a general 'swell' (肿) can cause confusion.

Write 癧

癧

Practice writing 癧 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 癧

Words Containing This Character1
疬lìscrofula (in Chinese medicine)癧
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 疬 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 癧

No, it's mainly used in medical or academic contexts.

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