How to Write 唳 (lì) — Meaning “the cry of a crane or wild goose”

Imagine a crane standing in a field, opening its beak wide (口) to make a loud, piercing scream. The right part 戾 looks a bit like a bird with a long neck and a call that sounds like "lee" – just remember "a crane cries 'lee!'" to connect the pinyin lì.

Pay attention to the balance: the left radical 口 is small and sits high, while the right side 戾 is taller. The bottom of 戾 has a horizontal stroke (一) followed by a sweeping stroke (乂), so make sure the final stroke is a smooth press to the right, not a hook.

唳 specifically refers to the cry of cranes or wild geese, while 呲 (cī) means to reprimand or the sound of teeth grinding, and 咠 (qì) means to whisper or slander. Visually, 呲 has a 此 component on the right, and 咠 has 耳 (ear), whereas 唳 uses 戾.

唳 is most often found in the four-character idiom 风声鹤唳 (fēng shēng hè lì), meaning "to be terrified by the sound of wind and crane calls," describing extreme panic. It also appears in classical poetry to evoke the mournful cry of migrating birds, giving the character a literary and emotional weight.

Common words containing 唳 include: 鹤唳 (hè lì) — the cry of a crane; 风声鹤唳 (fēng shēng hè lì) — To be in a state of panic; jittery.; 鸣唳 (míng lì) — The cry of a crane.