栗

慄

lì

木 + 覀

Definitions

lì (noun) chestnut

lì (verb) tremble; shiver

Etymology

Depicts a tree (木) with chestnuts.

About

The character 栗 is built from the semantic radical 木 (tree) at the bottom, while the upper part represents the spiky burr of chestnuts growing on the branches. It originally denotes the chestnut tree and its edible nuts, a meaning reflected in the 木 radical. Beyond this botanical sense, 栗 developed a secondary meaning of trembling, shivering, or shaking uncontrollably, typically from intense fear or extreme cold. This sense frequently appears in compound words for terror or physical dread.

Etymology Hide

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢吃糖炒栗子。

Wǒ xǐhuān chī táng chǎo lìzi.

I like to eat sugar-roasted chestnuts.

栗子树生长在山上。

Lìzishù shēngzhǎng zài shānshàng.

Chestnut trees grow on mountains.

冬天喝栗子汤很暖和。

Dōngtiān hē lìzi tāng hěn nuǎnhuo.

Drinking chestnut soup in winter is very warm.

他因寒冷而战栗。

Tā yīn hánlěng ér zhànlì.

He shivered due to the cold.

栗色的马在草地上奔跑。

Lìsè de mǎ zài cǎodì shàng bēnpǎo.

The chestnut-colored horse is running on the grass.

栗子富含淀粉和蛋白质。

Lìzi fùhán diànfěn hé dànbáizhì.

Chestnuts are rich in starch and protein.

听到这个消息，她不禁战栗起来。

Tīng dào zhège xiāoxi, tā bùjīn zhànlì qǐlái.

Hearing this news, she couldn't help but shiver.

在黑暗中，他感到一阵战栗。

Zài hēi'àn zhōng, tā gǎndào yīzhèn zhànlì.

In the darkness, he felt a shiver.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 木

Component: 覀

栗