厉 lì whetstone
How to remember 厉: 厂 factory + 万 ten thousand = whetstone. Behind the old factory, the knife grinder says he has sharpened ten thousand blades on his whetstone.
Component breakdown
厉 = 厂 factory + 万 ten thousand
- 厂 factory
- 万 ten thousand
Behind the old factory, the knife grinder says he has sharpened ten thousand blades on his whetstone.
How it came to be
A scorpion under a cliff face, in the full form. It is the rough stone for grinding blades, named for an animal you would not touch. Strictness grew from the roughness.
How it is used
- Stern / sharp; bound, and its everyday star is 厉害 (lìhai).
- 厉害 means both 'impressive/formidable' (你太厉害了 you're amazing) and 'severe/fierce' (病得很厉害 badly ill).
- 严厉 (yánlì) stern/severe (of criticism, punishment); 再接再厉 (zàijiē-zàilì) keep up the good effort.
Characters built with 厉
Words with 厉
Example sentences
- 他感冒了，头痛得厉害。 Tā gǎnmào le, tóu tòngde lìhai.He caught a cold and has a bad headache.
- 今年的流行感冒很厉害。 Jīnnián de liúxíng gǎnmào hěn lìhai.Flu is widespread this year.