俐 (lì) is a Chinese character meaning “quick-witted”. It is written from 亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 利 (sharp; benefit), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “quick-witted”
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Structure
亻 + 利
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿰亻利，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：全字 9 笔，笔画 0–1 为「亻」（2 笔），笔画 2–8 为「利」（7 笔）
Memory aid
A person (亻) whose mind is as sharp (利) as a blade — quick-witted. Both parts really are in this character.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 伶俐líng lìclever; quick-witted; nimble俐 = lì
Go deeper
All readings
quick-witted
quick-witted; nimble; sharp — in modern Chinese it appears almost only in the word 伶俐 (líng lì)
聪明、灵活、反应快。现代汉语中几乎只用于「伶俐」一词。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 伶俐líng lìclever; quick-witted; nimble俐 = lì
Sound component
利 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 俐 mean?
俐 (lì) means quick-witted; nimble; sharp — in modern Chinese it appears almost only in the word 伶俐 (líng lì).
How do you pronounce 俐?
It is pronounced lì.
What parts is 俐 made of?
亻 (person (the form 人 takes on the left)) and 利 (sharp; benefit), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿰亻利，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：全字 9 笔，笔画 0–1 为「亻」（2 笔），笔画 2–8 为「利」（7 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 俐 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 俐?
人. 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 俐?
Common ones are 伶俐. The reading of 俐 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.