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lì
粒
🌾Intermediate
HSK 5
📕 Advanced — HSK 5-6 vocabulary
Meaning
Classifier for tiny grains (rice, seeds, sand, pills).
🏮 Cultural Story
中文 Chinese
“粒”左边是“米”字旁——字面就是“一粒米”。凡是细小如沙、如米的东西，都用“粒”。
English
**粒 (lì)** has the 米 (rice) radical on its left — literally 'a grain of rice.' Anything as tiny as sand or rice is counted with 粒.
🎯 粒 = tiny grains. The rice radical says it all.
💡 Memory Tip
粒 is for the tiniest grains. 颗 is for slightly bigger round things. 滴 is for liquid drops. (颗/粒/滴 — see comparison.)
Examples
一粒米。
yí lì mǐ
a grain of rice.
三粒药。
sān lì yào
three pills.
Common Nouns Used With
米mǐrice (grain)
种子zhǒng ziseed
沙子shā zisand
药yàopill
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🌾HSK 5
粒
lì
Classifier for tiny grains (rice, seeds, sand, pills).
一粒米。
yí lì mǐ
a grain of rice.
Learn more at
chinesemeasurewords.com