礼 (lǐ): gift; present

Meanings

1 gift; present
2 ceremony; ritual
3 etiquette; courtesy

Characters

礼

lǐ

ceremony; gift; politeness

Examples

谢谢你的礼物。

Xièxie nǐ de lǐwù.

Thank you for your gift.

中国人很讲礼貌。

Zhōngguórén hěn jiǎng lǐmào.

Chinese people value courtesy.

Tips

usage

礼 appears in 礼物 (lǐwù, gift), 礼貌 (lǐmào, politeness), 礼拜 (lǐbài, week/worship), 婚礼 (hūnlǐ, wedding ceremony), 典礼 (diǎnlǐ, ceremony). The 礻radical relates to rites and spirits.

culture

礼 is one of Confucianism's core concepts, representing proper behavior, rituals, and social harmony. 礼尚往来 (lǐ shàng wǎnglái) means 'courtesy demands reciprocity.'

Components

radical

礻 shì

altar; ritual (left-side spirit radical)

Left altar radical 礻 — the left-side form of 示, depicting an ancient sacrificial table. Anchors 礼 directly in religious-ceremony semantics. Same radical anchors 神 (god), 祝 (blessing), 福 (good fortune), 祖 (ancestor) — every word about offering, prayer, or rite carries this radical.

ideograph

乚 yǐ

second heavenly stem; bent stroke (graphic residue)

Right hooked stroke — a drastically simplified residue of the traditional 禮's right side, which was 豊 (a ritual vessel piled with offerings). The 1956 reform reduced that whole vessel to a single hook. Reads now as a positional indicator that ritual happens at the altar; the offerings are erased but implied.