common
noun
name

Meaning of

吏 means low-ranking petty official; general term for officials (old). Pronounced lì.

  • low-ranking petty official
  • general term for officials (old)
  • surname Li

Character Info

Radical
Strokes2
Components

Stroke Order

Definitions & Examples

dài
xiàn
de
chǔ
wén
shū
shì
 

Petty clerks in ancient county yamen were responsible for handling paperwork.

Zhè
míng
xiǎo
zài
xiàn
dāng
chāi
yǒu
shí
nián
 

This petty official has worked in the county yamen for ten years.

shì
dài
guān
liáo
zhōng
zuì
céng
de
bàn
shì
rén
yuán
 

Petty clerks are the most basic administrative staff in ancient bureaucratic systems.

de
yuán
men
měi
tiān
yào
chǔ
liàng
gōng
wén
 

Clerks in the prefectural yamen handle large amounts of official documents every day.

Zhè
wèi
lǎo
zài
mén
le
bàn
bèi
zi
 

This elderly clerk has served in the yamen for most of his life.