How to Write 篱 (lí) — Meaning “fence”

Imagine a bamboo fence (竹) that makes you 'leave' (离) the neighbor's property — the fence separates your yard from theirs. This visual links the top bamboo radical with the sound and meaning of 离 to recall both the writing and the word 'fence'.

Write the top bamboo radical first, making both halves narrow and close together so the character stays balanced. The bottom part 离 has 10 strokes; be careful not to confuse its inner '凶' (xiong) with a simple '口' — the small cross inside is essential. Overall, keep the bamboo part about one-third of the character's height, and the bottom two-thirds.

篱 (fence) uses 离 as its bottom part, while 箅 (a sieve or strainer) uses 畀 (bì), and 箍 (a hoop or band) uses 古 (gǔ). Visually, 篱 has a more complex bottom with a '凶' shape, whereas 箅 has a square '田' in its lower half and 箍 has a simple '古'. Their meanings are also distinct: 篱 is for outdoor barriers, 箅 is for kitchen tools, and 箍 is for binding objects.

篱 appears in common words like 篱笆 (fence), 篱墙 (fence wall), and the idiom 寄人篱下 (living under someone's roof, literally 'by someone's fence'). It is frequently used in rural or traditional descriptions of gardens and yards, reflecting the old practice of making fences from bamboo or wood.

Common words containing 篱 include: 篱笆 (lí bā) — fence; 篱墙 (lí qiáng) — fence wall; 篱下 (lí xià) — by the fence.