李

See also: 季

李 U+674E, 李 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-674E ← 杍 [U+674D] CJK Unified Ideographs 杏 → [U+674F]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

李 (radical 75, 木+3, 7 strokes, cangjie input 木弓木 (DND), four-corner 4040₇, composition ⿱木子)

Derived characters

• 𭇶, 𣵎, 𣒶, 𦁝, 𪴏, 𦰁

References

• KangXi: page 511, character 11
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 14459
• Dae Jaweon: page 895, character 9
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1162, character 8
• Unihan data for U+674E

---

Chinese

simp. and trad.		李

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 李
Western Zhou	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Bronze inscriptions	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Characters in the same phonetic series (子) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
孜	*ʔslɯ
仔	*ʔslɯ, *ʔslɯʔ
孖	*ʔslɯ, *zlɯs
子	*ʔslɯʔ
虸	*ʔslɯʔ
耔	*ʔslɯʔ
秄	*ʔslɯʔ
杍	*ʔslɯʔ
籽	*ʔslɯʔ
字	*zlɯs
茡	*zlɯs
芓	*zlɯs
牸	*zlɯs
李	*rɯʔ

Oracle bone script: Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *rɯʔ): phonetic 來 (OC *m·rɯːɡ, “wheat”) + semantic 子. The phonetic part 來 became gradually corrupted to yield 木 (“tree”).

Shuowen erroneously remarks that this is a phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *rɯʔ): semantic 木 (“tree”) + phonetic 子 (OC *ʔslɯʔ).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): lǐ (li³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧˇ

  (Dungan, Cyrillic): ли (li, II)

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lei⁵
• Gan (Wiktionary): li³
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): lí

  (Meixian, Guangdong): li³

• Jin (Wiktionary): li²
• Min Bei (KCR): sā̤ / lǐ
• Min Dong (BUC): lī
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): lí

  (Teochew, Peng'im): li²

• Wu (Wiktionary): li (T3)
• Xiang (Wiktionary): li³

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: lǐ
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧˇ
    • Wade–Giles: li3
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lii
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lǐ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li²¹⁴/
  • (Dungan)
    • Cyrillic: ли (li, II)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li⁵¹/

    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: lei⁵
    • Yale: léih
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lei⁵
    • Guangdong Romanization: léi⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lei̯¹³/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: li³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li²¹³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lí
    • Hakka Romanization System: li`
    • Hagfa Pinyim: li³
    • Sinological IPA: /li³¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: li³
    • Sinological IPA: /li³¹/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: li²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /li⁵³/
• Min Bei
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: sā̤ / lǐ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɛ⁵⁵/, /li²¹/

Note:

• sā̤ - vernacular (plum);
• lǐ - literary (surname).

Min Dong

• (Fuzhou)
  • Bàng-uâ-cê: lī
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃i³³/

Min Nan

• (Hokkien)
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lí
  • Tâi-lô: lí
  • Phofsit Daibuun: lie
  • IPA (Xiamen): /li⁵³/
  • IPA (Quanzhou): /li⁵⁵⁴/
  • IPA (Zhangzhou): /li⁵³/
  • IPA (Taipei): /li⁵³/
  • IPA (Kaohsiung): /li⁴¹/
• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: li²
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lí
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li⁵²/

Wu

• (Shanghainese)
  • Wiktionary: li (T3)
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li²³/

Xiang

• (Changsha)
  • Wiktionary: li³
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li⁴¹/

---

• Dialectal data

Variety	Location	edit 李
Mandarin	Beijing	/li²¹⁴/
	Harbin	/li²¹³/
	Tianjin	/li¹³/
	Jinan	/li⁵⁵/
	Qingdao	/li⁵⁵/
	Zhengzhou	/li⁵³/
	Xi'an	/li⁵³/
	Xining	/l̩⁵³/
	Yinchuan	/li⁵³/
	Lanzhou	/li⁴⁴²/
	Ürümqi	/li⁵¹/
	Wuhan	/ni⁴²/
	Chengdu	/ni⁵³/
	Guiyang	/ni⁴²/
	Kunming	/li⁵³/
	Nanjing	/li²¹²/
	Hefei	/zz̩²⁴/
Jin	Taiyuan	/li⁵³/
	Pingyao	/li⁵³/
	Hohhot	/li⁵³/
Wu	Shanghai	/li²³/
	Suzhou	/li³¹/
	Hangzhou	/li⁵³/
	Wenzhou	/lei³⁵/
Hui	Shexian	/li³⁵/
	Tunxi	/li²⁴/
Xiang	Changsha	/li⁴¹/
	Xiangtan	/ni⁴²/
Gan	Nanchang	/li²¹³/
Hakka	Meixian	/li³¹/
	Taoyuan	/li³¹/
Cantonese	Guangzhou	/lei²³/
	Nanning	/li²⁴/
	Hong Kong	/lei¹³/
Min	Xiamen (Min Nan)	/li⁵³/
	Fuzhou (Min Dong)	/li³²/
	Jian'ou (Min Bei)	/li²¹/ /sɛ⁴⁴/
	Shantou (Min Nan)	/li⁵³/
	Haikou (Min Nan)	/li²¹³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /lɨ^X/

Rime
Character	李
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	來 (37)
Final (韻)	之 (19)
Tone (調)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	良士切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/lɨX/
Pan Wuyun	/lɨX/
Shao Rongfen	/lieX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/lɨX/
Li Rong	/liəX/
Wang Li	/lĭəX/
Bernard Karlgren	/liX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	lǐ
Expected Cantonese Reflex	lei5

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*C.rəʔ/

  (Zhengzhang): /*rɯʔ/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	李
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	lǐ
Middle Chinese	‹ liX ›
Old Chinese	/*C.rəʔ/
English	plum
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	李
Reading #	1/1
No.	17869
Phonetic component	子
Rime group	之
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	里
Old Chinese	/*rɯʔ/

Definitions

李

1. plum (tree and fruit)
2. (astronomy) Zeta Virginis
3. ^† Alternative form of 理 (lǐ, “judge; justice”).
4. A surname​, listed fourth in the Baijiaxing

   李登輝 / 李登辉  ―  Lǐ Dēnghuī  ―  Lee Teng-hui (President of the Republic of China (Taiwan), 1988-2000)

   李連杰 / 李连杰 [Cantonese]  ―  lei⁵ lin⁴ git⁶ [Jyutping]  ―  Jet Li (Li Lianjie or Li Yangzhong)

Usage notes

In mainland China and among its expatriates, this surname is generally romanized as "Li" in accordance with the Hanyu Pinyin system. Although an identical transliteration is used in Wade-Giles, similarity to the English surname has made the romanization "Lee" more common in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. A notable example of this is Bruce Lee.

Descendants

• → English: Li, Lee
• → Tagalog: Dy, Dee (via Hokkien)

Compounds

• 僵李代桃
• 公門桃李／公门桃李
• 凡桃俗李
• 呼張喚李／呼张唤李
• 夭桃穠李／夭桃秾李
• 夭桃襛李
• 小李
• 張三李四／张三李四 (zhāngsān-lǐsì)
• 張冠李戴／张冠李戴 (zhāngguānlǐdài)
• 張王李趙／张王李赵 (Zhāng-Wáng-Lǐ-Zhào)
• 投桃報李／投桃报李 (tóutáobàolǐ)
• 方桃譬李
• 李下
• 李下無蹊／李下无蹊
• 李下瓜田 (lǐxiàguātián)
• 李代桃僵 (lǐdàitáojiāng)
• 李劉馬夏／李刘马夏
• 李唐
• 李埠 (Lǐbù)
• 李子 (lǐzi)
• 李家河 (Lǐjiāhé)
• 李富莊／李富庄 (Lǐfùzhuāng)
• 李寨 (Lǐzhài)
• 李店 (Lǐdiàn)

• 李廟／李庙 (Lǐmiào)
• 李廣射虎／李广射虎
• 李廣難封／李广难封
• 李思訓碑／李思训碑
• 李杜 (Lǐ-Dù)
• 李榨 (Lǐzhà)
• 李樓／李楼 (Lǐlóu)
• 李灘／李滩 (Lǐtān)
• 李灣／李湾 (Lǐwān)
• 李爾王／李尔王
• 李耳
• 李膺門／李膺门
• 李郭同舟
• 李集 (Lǐjí)
• 李靖
• 桃來李答／桃来李答
• 桃李 (táolǐ)
• 桃李之教
• 桃李滿門／桃李满门 (táolǐmǎnmén)
• 桃李爭妍／桃李争妍
• 桃李爭輝／桃李争辉
• 桃李門牆／桃李门墙
• 檇李／槜李
• 歐李／欧李

• 正冠李下
• 比張比李／比张比李
• 沉李浮瓜
• 浮瓜沉李
• 濃桃豔李／浓桃艳李
• 牛李黨爭／牛李党争
• 瓜李之嫌
• 瓜田李下 (guātiánlǐxià)
• 色豔桃李／色艳桃李
• 苦李
• 華李／华李 (Huálǐ)
• 行李 (xínglǐ)
• 行李箱 (xínglǐxiāng)
• 行李袋
• 西李灣／西李湾 (Xīlǐwān)
• 豔如桃李／艳如桃李
• 賣李鑽核／卖李钻核
• 趙李橋／赵李桥 (Zhàolǐqiáo)
• 道傍李
• 道傍苦李
• 郁李 (yùlǐ)
• 鐵拐李／铁拐李
• 門牆桃李／门墙桃李
• 魏李 (Wèilǐ)

Further reading

• “Entry #3231”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (in Chinese and Min Nan), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2011.

---

Japanese

Kanji

李

(“Jinmeiyō” kanji used for names)

Readings

• Go-on: り (ri)
• Kan-on: り (ri)
• Kun: すもも (sumomo, 李)
• Nanori: もも (momo); い (i)

Compounds

• 行(こう)李(り) (kōri)

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
李
Jinmeiyō
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
酸桃

Compound of 酸 (su, “vinegar; sour”) +‎ 桃 (momo, “peach”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) すもも [sùmómó] (Heiban – [0])
• IPA^(key): [sɨᵝmo̞mo̞]

Noun

李(すもも) • (sumomo) 

1. plum (Prunus salicina)

Usage notes

As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts, as スモモ.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 西洋(せいよう)李(すもも) (seiyō sumomo), 西洋(せいよう)酸(す)桃(もも) (seiyō sumomo)
• 紅(べに)葉(ば)李(すもも) (beniba sumomo)
• 干(ほ)し李(すもも) (hoshi sumomo)

Etymology 2

From Middle Chinese 李 (MC lɨ^X).

Pronunciation

• On’yomi
• IPA^(key): [ɾʲi]

Affix

李(り) • (ri) 

1. plum

Derived terms

• 李花(りか) (rika)
• 李下(りか) (rika)
• 回(かい)李(り), 廻(かい)李(り) (kairi)
• 桃(とう)李(り) (tōri)

 

Proper noun

李(リ) • (Ri) 

1. Japanese reading of the Chinese or Korean surname

李(リー) • (Rī) 

1. Japanese reading of the Chinese surname

李(イ) • (I) 

1. Japanese reading of the South Korean surname

Derived terms

• 李(り)朝(ちょう) (Richō)
• 李詩(りし) (rishi)

 

Further reading

• Entry at Nihon Jiten (in Japanese)
• Entry at Gogen Allguide (in Japanese)

---

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 李 (MC lɨ^X).

Historical readings
Recorded as Middle Korean 링〯 (Yale: lǐ) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448. Recorded as Middle Korean 니〯 (Yale: nǐ) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

• (initial position)
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [i(ː)]
  • Phonetic hangeul: [이(ː)]
    • Long vowel distinction only applies at the initial position. Most speakers no longer distinguish vowel length at any position.
• (non-initial position)
  • (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾi]
  • Phonetic hangeul: [리]

Hanja

Wikisource

李 (eumhun 오얏나무 리 (oyannamu ri), South Korea 오얏나무 이 (oyannamu i))

1. Hanja form^? of 리/이 (“Lee, the second most common Korean surname​.”).
2. (literary) Hanja form^? of 리/이 (“plum tree”).

Usage notes

This hanja is spelled 이 (i) in South Korea due to 두음 법칙 (頭音法則, dueum beopchik).

Compounds

Compounds

• 이관/리관 (李官, igwan/rigwan)
• 이화/리화 (李花, ihwa/rihwa)
• 도리 (桃李, dori)
• 우리 (牛李, uri)
• 욱리 (郁李, ungni)
• 저리 (楮李, jeori)
• 행리 (行李, haengni)
• 이하부정관/리하부정관 (李下不整冠, ihabujeonggwan/rihabujeonggwan)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

---

Vietnamese

Han character

李: Hán Nôm readings: lí, lý

1. A Vietnamese family name.
2. An unisex given name.

References

• Nom Foundation