How to Write 鲡 (lí) — Meaning “Eel”

Imagine a beautiful (丽) fish (鱼) that is long and slender like an eel. The right part 丽 looks like a fancy tail or ribbon, reminding you of the eel's wavy swimming motion.

The left radical 鱼 has seven strokes and should be narrow, while the right part 丽 takes more space with eight strokes. Be careful not to make the top of 丽 too wide; the horizontal strokes should be parallel and evenly spaced.

鲡 (lí) means eel, a long fish; the right side is 丽. 鲅 (bà) means mackerel, with right side 发 (fā). 鲆 (píng) means flatfish, with right side 平 (píng). You can tell them apart by the different right-side components.

鲡 is rarely used alone; it appears mainly in the word 鳗鲡 (mán lí), meaning eel, especially in cooking or biology contexts. In Chinese cuisine, 鳗鲡 is considered a delicacy, often grilled or served in dishes like unadon.

Common words containing 鲡 include: 鳗鲡 (mán lí) — eel; 鲡鱼 (lí yú) — Eel; 养鲡 (yǎng lí) — raise eels.