How to Write 粝 (lì) — Meaning “coarse (grain)”

Imagine a grain of rice (米) that is so rough and coarse that it feels like sandpaper — that harsh texture is 厉 (lì). So 粝 is the "rough rice" you can remember by picturing a tough, gritty grain.

The left radical 米 should be narrow, and the right part 厉 should be slightly wider. Be careful to write the top horizontal stroke of 厉 correctly — it is a single line, not broken, and the inner part has a small 万 shape below the cliff (厂).

粝 (coarse grain) uses 米 on the left and is pronounced lì. 籼 (a type of long-grained rice) uses 米 on the left but the right is 山 (mountain), not 厉. 籽 (seed) uses 米 on the left but the right is 子 (child), meaning small seeds or kernels.

粝 is not common in daily speech, but it appears in formal or literary contexts to describe coarse food, like 粝米 (brown rice) or 粗粝 (rough texture). It often contrasts with refined foods, so you might see it in discussions about traditional, simple diets or in historical texts.

Common words containing 粝 include: 粝米 (lì mǐ) — brown rice; coarse rice; 粗粝 (cū lì) — coarse (of food); rough; 粝食 (lì shí) — coarse food.