Dictionary🇨🇳 Chinese → 🇺🇸 English
里
lǐ
Description
“里”这个字有很多意思，最常见的是表示“在……的内部”，比如“房间里”。
The character "里" has many meanings, the most common being to indicate "inside...", such as "房间里" (inside the room).
它也可以表示中国传统的长度单位，或者指一个人住的地方。
It can also represent a traditional Chinese unit of length, or refer to a person's residence.
Meanings
里lǐ
inside; in (marks location inside something)
书在包里。
The book is in the bag.
里lǐ
li, a Chinese unit of distance (500 meters)
我家离学校有三里路。
My home is three li from the school.
里lǐ
neighborhood; hometown; village
他回到了自己的故里。
He returned to his hometown.
Related words
Notes
- Nuance
里 for location is often paired with 在 or attached to a noun, like 屋里.
- Etymology
originally meant a village or settled area; the distance and 'inside' senses developed later.
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