How many strokes does the Chinese character "李" (lǐ) have?
"李" has 7 strokes in Simplified Chinese. Its primary dictionary radical is 木, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Ready · 7 strokes
Speed:
Chinese Surnames & Cultural Core
Name: Surname / Classic
Tattoo: Better in a Phrase
李 Li / Plum in Chinese (lǐ)
Dictionary Summary
李 (lǐ) means surname Li; plum. Simplified form has 7 strokes under radical 木.
Pinyin & Tonelǐ (Tone 3)
Simplified / Trad.李 / 李
Radical木
Total Strokes7 strokes
StructureTop–Bottom (木 + 子)
Unicode / LevelU+674E · HSK 3
Native Naming & Tattoo Safety Review
🪪 Using “李” in a Chinese Name · Surname / Classic (Neutral / Surname)
One of China's top three surnames (over 100 million bearers, including Bruce Lee 李小龙 and poet Li Bai 李白). Ideal surname match for English names starting with L (Liam, Lily, Luke, Leo, Lauren).
✒️ Using “李” for a Tattoo · Better in a Phrase
Primarily read as the family surname 'Li' (or plum fruit 李子), so only tattoo it if it represents your actual family surname or literary heritage.
Character Etymology & CC-CEDICT Meanings
Origin & Visual Logic: Tree (木) above child (子): fruitful plum tree symbolizing thriving descendants.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 李 / 李 | Lǐ | surname Li |
| 李 / 李 | lǐ | plum |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
Common Words & Idioms Using “李”
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 李子 | lǐzi | plum fruit | |
| 桃李 | táolǐ | peaches and plums (fig. a teacher's devoted students) | |
| 李白 | Lǐ Bái | Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai |
English Names Using “李” in Our Curated Recommendations
See how native speakers pair 李 (lǐ) into modern Chinese names:
Frequently Asked Questions
Is "李" good to use in a real Chinese name?
Rating: Surname / Classic (Neutral / Surname). One of China's top three surnames (over 100 million bearers, including Bruce Lee 李小龙 and poet Li Bai 李白). Ideal surname match for English names starting with L (Liam, Lily, Luke, Leo, Lauren).
Is "李" safe as a Chinese character tattoo?
Tattoo rating: Better in a Phrase. Primarily read as the family surname 'Li' (or plum fruit 李子), so only tattoo it if it represents your actual family surname or literary heritage.