梨 lí pear
pear; opera
How to remember 梨: 利 benefit + 木 tree = pear. The farmer sees a real benefit at the end of the season, all thanks to one old tree that gives the sweetest pear in the valley.
Component breakdown
梨 = 利 benefit + 木 tree
- 利 benefit
- 禾 grain
- 刂 knife
- 木 tree
The farmer sees a real benefit at the end of the season, all thanks to one old tree that gives the sweetest pear in the valley.
How it is used
- The fruit pear; can stand alone in writing or menus, though spoken Chinese often adds a suffix or just says 梨子 in some regions.
- 梨园 líyuán, literally "pear garden", is a literary/historical term for the world of Chinese opera, tracing back to a Tang-dynasty training academy - you'll meet it in cultural or historical writing, not daily speech.
- Not to be confused with 离 lí (to leave/separate) - same pinyin, unrelated meaning, common listening trap.