DICTIONARY · CC-CEDICT
粒
Mandarin · pinyin lì
Meanings
- grain; granule; pellet; particle
- classifier for small round objects (peas, bullets, peanuts, pills, grains etc)
- (Tw) classifier for larger round objects (watermelon etc)
Characters in this entry
- 粒
- lì · grain; small particle
Explore the spelling
Mandarin tones
4 · li4
Compare attested words with these syllables ↗Dictionary tones. Connected speech can change their realization.
Connected dictionary
1character link128same-tone records
Counts describe dictionary records, not word frequency or semantic similarity. Source identities stay separate.Read this spelling in Classical texts
Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.
Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 11 senses · 2 Cantonese readings
Rime Cantonese 粵拼
lap1 · nap1
Cantonese word readings for 粒. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.
CanCLID contributors · CC BY 4.0 · source & license · Data pack
Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section
Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.
character
- grain
- small particle
- Classifier for small, round objects: granule, grain, particle, piece ⇒ all nouns using this classifier
- (Hokkien, Eastern Min, Taiwanese, Singapore and Malaysian Mandarin) Classifier for any round, solid objects.
- (Hokkien) with hard grains and not mushy (of rice)
- (Cantonese) Classifier for hours.
- (Cantonese) Classifier for offspring.
- (Cantonese) Classifier for pips (insignia).
- (Cantonese, by extension) high-ranking police officer; police officer with pips
- (Cantonese, slang) Classifier for money: ten thousand yuan, dollars, etc.
- (Hakka) pox (in common)
Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source & license · Data pack