How to Write 砺 (lì) — Meaning “whetstone / to grind”

Imagine a stone (石) and a calendar (厉) – grinding a knife against a stone for each passing day until it becomes sharp. The "厉" part looks like a calendar warning you to keep practicing. This links the stone to the idea of steady grinding over time.

The left radical 石 must be written narrower and slightly taller, while the right part 厉 should be wider with balanced strokes. Pay attention to the final downward stroke of 厂 (the left-falling stroke in 厉) – it should not cross into the stone radical. A common mistake is making the two halves too equal in width; the left stone should occupy about one-third of the character.

砺 (lì) means whetstone or to sharpen, and is used in words like 磨砺 (to temper oneself). 矸 (gān) is rarely used alone and appears in 矸石 (gangue, a mining waste rock). 矻 (kū) means to labor or toil, as in 矻矻 (industrious). Visually, 砺 has 厉 on the right, while 矸 has 干 (dry/do) and 矻 has 乞 (beg) – each has a different phonetic and meaning.

砺 is most common in literary or formal expressions like 磨砺 (sharpen) and 砥砺 (forge ahead). It often appears in motivational or educational contexts, such as describing how one tempers their will through hardship. A famous historical reference is the idiom "砺戈秣马" (sharpen weapons and feed horses), meaning to prepare for battle, showing its martial and self-improvement connotations.

Common words containing 砺 include: 磨砺 (mó lì) — sharpen / steel oneself; 砥砺 (dǐ lì) — To temper / To sharpen; 砺石 (lì shí) — whetstone / grinding stone.