礼 (lǐ) means gift; rite; ceremony. Simplified form has 5 strokes under radical 礻.
Denotes courtesy, ritual grace, and refinement. Looks distinguished in modern literary names such as 礼安 or 知礼; avoids sounding stiff when paired with soft tones.
In modern daily Chinese, 礼 alone often evokes 礼物 (gift) rather than solemn respect. Better paired in a classical proverb than tattooed solo.
Origin & Visual Logic: Features the altar/spirit radical (礻), historically depicting ceremonial vessels offered with reverence.
| Traditional / Simplified | Pinyin | CC-CEDICT Definitions |
|---|---|---|
| 禮 / 礼 | lǐ | gift; rite; ceremony |
| 禮 / 礼 | Lǐ | surname Li |
Lexical entries derived from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Make Me a Hanzi (APL / LGPL-3.0).
| Chinese Word | Pinyin | English Meaning | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 礼貌 | lǐmào | courtesy and manners | |
| 典礼 | diǎnlǐ | ceremony | |
| 知书达礼 | zhīshū-dálǐ | cultured and courteous |
See how native speakers pair 礼 (lǐ) into modern Chinese names:
"礼" has 5 strokes in Simplified Chinese (Traditional form: 禮). Its primary dictionary radical is 礻, and you can animate or practice writing every stroke in order using the interactive grid on this page.
Rating: Good with Pairing (Unisex). Denotes courtesy, ritual grace, and refinement. Looks distinguished in modern literary names such as 礼安 or 知礼; avoids sounding stiff when paired with soft tones.
Tattoo rating: Caution Alone. In modern daily Chinese, 礼 alone often evokes 礼物 (gift) rather than solemn respect. Better paired in a classical proverb than tattooed solo.
