How to Write 呖 (lì) — Meaning “chirping sound (onomatopoeia)”

Imagine a bird singing near a calendar (历). The mouth (口) of the bird makes a chirping sound "lì lì" as it reads the dates. This picture of a bird chirping by a calendar helps you link the sound to the character.

Write the left radical 口 first in three strokes: left vertical, top+right, bottom horizontal. Then write the right side: first the 厂 (horizontal stroke then left vertical), then inside write 力 with a horizontal hook and a left stroke. A common mistake is making the 厂 too big or not joining the 力 correctly.

呖 uses 历 on the right, meaning calendar, while 卟 uses 卜 (divination) and means a swallowing sound, and 古 uses 十 (ten) on top meaning ancient. Visually, 呖 has a tall right side, 卟 has a simple vertical dot, and 古 has a cross shape above a mouth.

呖 is rarely used alone; it mostly appears in the poetic phrase 莺声呖呖 (yīng shēng lì lì), describing an oriole's clear and melodious song. You might find it in classical literature or nature descriptions, but it is not common in daily conversation.

Common words containing 呖 include: 呖呖 (lì lì) — clear chirping / melodious sound; 呖声 (lì shēng) — clear and melodious sound; 莺声呖呖 (yīng shēng lì lì) — The clear and melodious song of an oriole.