蠡 (lí) - Li — a wooden ladle or dipper & a calabash gourd

蠡Tone 2

lí ｜ 21 strokes ｜ radical:

俊梁

蠡 · lí

Li — a wooden ladle or dipper;

a calabash gourd;

to carve or engrave;

also used in place names and personal names.

Li — a wooden ladle or dippera calabash gourdto carve or engrave

Usage highlights

Fan LiLixian countyMeasuring the sea with a ladleCarve a ladleGourd ladlePengli

Synonyms

  • 瓢— ladle, dipper (especially from a gourd)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He used a ladle to scoop water (以蠡测海).
  • The ancient county of Lixian (蠡县) in Hebei province.
  • Fan Li (范蠡) was a famous strategist and businessman of the Spring and Autumn period.
  • A calabash gourd can be used as a container (蠡, a type of gourd).

Collocations

  • Fan Li(范蠡)
  • Lixian county(蠡县)
  • Measuring the sea with a ladle(以蠡测海)
  • Carve a ladle(刻蠡)
  • Gourd ladle(瓢蠡)
  • Pengli(彭蠡, an ancient name for Poyang Lake)

Idioms

  • To measure the ocean with a ladle(以蠡测海)
  • The strategy of Fan Li(范蠡之计)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Associated with Fan Li, a legendary figure from the Spring and Autumn period known for his wisdom in statecraft and business.
  • The character originally depicted a ladle made from a calabash gourd, used for scooping.
  • Used in the idiom '以蠡测海' (to measure the ocean with a ladle), meaning to have a shallow understanding of something vast.

FAQ