沥

瀝

lì

历 + 氵

Frequency#3598

Definitions

lì to drip; to strain or filter; a trickle

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 历 represents the sound. Simplified form of 瀝.

Semantic: 氵 Phonetic: 历

About

The character "沥", whose traditional form is "瀝", structurally combines the water radical (氵) with the phonetic component "歷" to form a semantic-phonetic compound associated with liquid actions. Its primary meaning has long been to drip, trickle, or filter, referring to the gradual movement or separation of fluids. Over time, this meaning extended to designate certain substances, such as asphalt (沥青), which share this dripping quality. The simplified form "沥" maintains the water radical but replaces the phonetic element with "历", which similarly indicates pronunciation while keeping the character's focus on liquid-related processes.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

雨水从屋檐沥沥地落下。

Yǔshuǐ cóng wūyán lìlì de luòxià.

Rainwater drips down from the eaves.

工人们正在铺设沥青马路。

Gōngrénmen zhèngzài pūshè lìqīng mǎlù.

Workers are paving the asphalt road.

洗好的蔬菜需要沥干水分。

Xǐ hǎo de shūcài xūyào lìgān shuǐfèn.

Washed vegetables need to have the water drained off.

她用漏勺把面条从锅里沥出来。

Tā yòng lòusháo bǎ miàntiáo cóng guō lǐ lì chūlái.

She used a colander to drain the noodles from the pot.

这项成果是他多年心血沥成的。

Zhè xiàng chéngguǒ shì tā duōnián xīnxuè lì chéng de.

This achievement was formed through years of his hard work and dedication.

窗外整夜响着淅淅沥沥的雨声。

Chuāng wài zhěngyè xiǎngzhe xīxīlìlì de yǔshēng.

The sound of pattering rain could be heard outside the window all night.

这个实验需要通过沥滤来分离杂质。

Zhège shíyàn xūyào tōngguò lìlǜ lái fēnlí zázhì.

This experiment requires filtration to separate the impurities.

他披肝沥胆地向领导陈述了自己的建议。

Tā pīgānlìdǎn de xiàng lǐngdǎo chénshù le zìjǐ de jiànyì.

He stated his suggestions to the leader with utter sincerity and dedication.

Related Characters

Component: 历

Component: 氵

沥