How to Write 枥 (lì) — Meaning “stable; manger”

Imagine a wooden stable (木) where a horse passes through its daily routine, or "history" (历). The right side 历 looks like a cliff (厂) with strength (力), so picture a strong horse pushing against a wooden manger. This visual helps connect the character to its meaning of stable or manger.

Write the left radical 木 with a narrow shape first: horizontal line, vertical line, then left-falling and right-falling strokes. Then add the right side 历: start with 厂 (horizontal line then left-falling), and finish with 力 (a horizontal hook and a left-falling stroke). A common mistake is making the right side too wide, so keep both parts balanced within the square.

枥 has a clear left-right structure: 木 on the left and 历 on the right, meaning a stable. In contrast, 朱 is a single compact character without split components, meaning "red" or "cinnabar," and 朴 has 卜 on the right instead of 历, meaning "simple" or "plain." Visually, 枥 is wider because of two separate parts, while 朱 and 朴 are more balanced.

枥 is rarely used in daily conversation; it mostly appears in classical Chinese literature or idioms. A famous example is the idiom 老骥伏枥 (lǎo jì fú lì), meaning "an old horse in the stable" — this is used to describe someone who is old but still has great ambition. You may also find it in historical texts about horse stables or in poetic contexts.

Common words containing 枥 include: 马枥 (mǎ lì) — Horse stable; manger; 老枥 (lǎo lì) — An old horse in a stable.; 枥马 (lì mǎ) — stable horse.