The character 李 — “plum”: how to write it and what it means
plum; surname Li
The Chinese character 李 is read lǐ and means “plum; surname Li”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 李
李 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 李, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 李 is made of
On top, 木 “tree”; below, 子 “child”. In 行李 it is read with the neutral tone: li.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 李
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 李?
李 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 李 mean?
李 means “plum; surname Li”. It appears in 行李 (“luggage”).
How do you pronounce 李?
李 is read lǐ. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 李 have?
7 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 李 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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