粒 (lì) is a Chinese character meaning “grain”. It is written from 米 (rice (uncooked grains)) and 立 (to stand; upright), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “grain”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
米 + 立
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS ⿰米立（现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer 笔顺数据核验：6+5=11 画）
Memory aid
Rice (米) on the left, standing (立) on the right: picture each grain of rice standing on its own — one 粒, one grain. 立 also lends the sound, lì.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 米粒mǐ lìgrain of rice粒 = lì
- 颗粒kē lìgranule; small particle粒 = lì
- 籽粒zǐ lìgrain; seed kernel粒 = lì
Go deeper
All readings
grain
grain; granule; small particle; measure word for grains, pills, beads and other small round things
小而圆的颗状物，如米粒、沙粒；也作量词，用于颗粒状的东西。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 米粒mǐ lìgrain of rice粒 = lì
- 颗粒kē lìgranule; small particle粒 = lì
- 籽粒zǐ lìgrain; seed kernel粒 = lì
Sound component
立 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 粒 mean?
粒 (lì) means grain; granule; small particle; measure word for grains, pills, beads and other small round things.
How do you pronounce 粒?
It is pronounced lì.
What parts is 粒 made of?
米 (rice (uncooked grains)) and 立 (to stand; upright), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS ⿰米立（现代字形拆分，已对照 hanzi-writer 笔顺数据核验：6+5=11 画）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 粒 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 粒?
米. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 粒?
Common ones are 米粒, 颗粒, 籽粒. The reading of 粒 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.