# 粒

| 粒 | U+7C92, &#31890; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7C92 |
| ← 粑 [U+7C91] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 粓 → [U+7C93] |
| 粒 | U+F9F9, &#63993; CJK COMPATIBILITY IDEOGRAPH-F9F9 |
| ← 笠 [U+F9F8] | CJK Compatibility Ideographs | 狀 → [U+F9FA] |

## Translingual
### Han character

粒 (Kangxi radical 119, 米+5, 11 strokes, cangjie input 火木卜廿 (FDYT), four-corner 9091$_8$, composition ⿰米立)

#### Derived characters

* 𨅀, 𩻑

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 907, character 22
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 26884
* Dae Jaweon: page 1333, character 7
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 5, page 3145, character 12
* Unihan data for U+7C92
* Unihan data for U+F9F9

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

* Historical forms of the character 粒
* Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
* Small seal script
| | Old Chinese |
| 涖 | *rɯːbs, *rɯbs |
| 莅 | *rɯbs, *rɯbs |
| 蒞 | *rɯbs |
| 位 | *ɢʷrɯbs |
| 拉 | *ruːb |
| 菈 | *ruːb |
| 颯 | *sluːb |
| 立 | *rɯb |
| 粒 | *rɯb |
| 笠 | *ɡ·rɯb |
| 砬 | *rɯb |
| 岦 | *rɯb |
| 苙 | *ɡ·rɯb, *ɡrɯb |
| 鴗 | *rɯb |
| 雴 | *r̥ʰɯb |
| 泣 | *kʰrɯb |
Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *rɯb): semantic 米 (“rice”) + phonetic 立 (OC *rɯb).

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): lì (li$^4$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧˋ
    (Nanjing, Nanjing Pinyin): li̊q
* Cantonese (Jyutping): nap$^1$ / lap$^1$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): lia̍p
    (Meixian, Guangdong): lêb$^5$
* Eastern Min (BUC): lăk
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): lia̍p / li̍p
    (Teochew, Peng'im): liab$^8$
* Wu (Northern, Wugniu): $^8$liq
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: lì
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄧˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: lì
*** Wade–Giles: li$^4$
*** Yale: lì
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lih
*** Palladius: ли (li)
*** Sinological IPA : /li⁵¹/
** (Standard Chinese, erhua-ed) (粒兒 / 粒儿)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: lìr
*** Zhuyin: ㄌㄧˋㄦ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: lìr
*** Wade–Giles: li$^4$-ʼrh
*** Yale: lìr
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: liell
*** Palladius: лир (lir)
*** Sinological IPA : /liə̯ɻ⁵¹/
** (Nanjing)
*** Nanjing Pinyin: li̊q
*** Nanjing Pinyin (numbered): liq$^5$
*** Sinological IPA : /liʔ⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: nap$^1$ / lap$^1$
*** Yale: nāp / lāp
*** Cantonese Pinyin: nap$^7$ / lap$^7$
*** Guangdong Romanization: neb$^1$ / leb$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /nɐp̚⁵/, /lɐp̚⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: lia̍p
*** Hakka Romanization System: liab
*** Hagfa Pinyim: liab$^6$
*** Sinological IPA: /li̯ap̚⁵/
** (Meixian)
*** Guangdong: lêb$^5$
*** Sinological IPA: /lɛp̚¹/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: lăk
*** Sinological IPA : /l̃aʔ⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lia̍p
*** Tâi-lô: lia̍p
*** Phofsit Daibuun: liap
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /liap̚²⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /liap̚¹²¹/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /liap̚⁴/
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: li̍p
*** Tâi-lô: li̍p
*** Phofsit Daibuun: lip
*** IPA (Xiamen): /lip̚⁴/
*** IPA (Zhangzhou): /lip̚¹²¹/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /lip̚²⁴/
* lia̍p - vernacular (“grain; small particle; classifier for small, round objects; classifier for any round, solid objects; with hard grains and not mushy”);
* li̍p - literary.
* Middle Chinese: lip
Rime :
| Character | 粒 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Initial (聲) | 來 (37) |
| Final (韻) | 緝 (141) |
| Tone (調) | Checked (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 力入切 |
| Baxter | lip |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /liɪp̚/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /lip̚/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ljep̚/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /lip̚/ |
| Li Rong | /liəp̚/ |
| Wang Li | /lĭĕp̚/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /li̯əp̚/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | lì |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | lap$^6$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*p.rəp/
    (Zhengzhang): /*rɯb/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 粒 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | lì |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ lip › |
| Old Chinese | /*p.rəp/ |
| English | grains of rice |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 粒 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| No. | 7870 |
| Phonetic component | 立 |
| Rime group | 緝 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 立 |
| Old Chinese | /*rɯb/ |

### Definitions

粒
* grain
    From: Tang Dynasty, 李紳 [Li Shen], 憫農 [Pitying the Farmer]
    Shéi zhī pán zhōng cān, lì lì jiē xīnkǔ? [Pinyin]
    Who is aware that every grain of the meal in the plate is of toil?
* small particle
* Classifier for small, round objects: granule, grain, particle, piece ⇒ all nouns using this classifier
    一粒米 ― yī lì mǐ ― a grain of rice
    一粒糖 [Cantonese] ― jat$^1$ nap$^1$ tong$^{4-2}$ [Jyutping] ― a piece of candy
* (Hokkien, Eastern Min, Taiwanese, Singapore and Malaysian Mandarin) Classifier for any round, solid objects.
    一粒西瓜 ― yī lì xīguā ― a watermelon
    From: 2018, 許富凱 and 蔡佳麟 (lyricist 徐偉銘), 《疼憨人》
    kò͘-hiong hit lia̍p soaⁿ, éng-oán khiā tī hia, m̄ chai kúi tang [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]
    The mountain in my hometown stands there forever, for who knows how many years.
* (Hokkien) with hard grains and not mushy (of rice)
* (Cantonese) Classifier for hours.
* (Cantonese) Classifier for offspring.
** 1952, 唐龍, directed by 潘炳權, 契爺艷史 [Foster-Daddy's Romantic Affairs]‎, spoken by 梁大寒 (梁醒波 [Leung Sing Poh]):
       baa$^{1-4}$ baa$^1$ dak$^1$ nei$^5$ dei$^6$ jat$^1$ lap$^1$ zai$^2$ jat$^1$ lap$^1$ neoi$^5$ gaa$^3$ zaa$^3$ bo$^3$. [Jyutping]
       Dad only has you two, a son and a daughter.
* (Cantonese) Classifier for pips (insignia).
* (Cantonese, by extension) high-ranking police officer; police officer with pips
* (Cantonese, slang) Classifier for money: ten thousand yuan, dollars, etc.
    Synonym: 個 / 个

#### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 顆, 枚, 個 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 顆 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 粒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 粒 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 個 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 隻 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 隻 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 粒 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 個 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 隻 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Wuluo, Ligang; S. Sixian) | 粒 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 個 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 粒 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 粒 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 粒 GT |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 個, 粒 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 個 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 個 |
| Note | GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified) | GT - General Taiwanese (no specific region identified) |
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 顆, 粒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 顆 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 粒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Qiqihar | 顆 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 顆 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tangshan | 顆 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shijiazhuang | 粒兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 粒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Linfen | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xinyang | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baihe | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Baoji | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Tianshui | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 顆 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Fuyang | 顆 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 顆 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 顆 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Dunhuang | 顆 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Hami | 顆 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Nanchong | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dazhou | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanyuan | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xichang | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zigong | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chongqing | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Yichang | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Xiangyang | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Tianmen | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zunyi | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Bijie | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liping | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Zhaotong | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Dali | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Mengzi | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Jishou | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Changde | 顆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Hanzhong | 顆 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 顆 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 顆 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Lianyungang | 粒 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 粒 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 粒 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 粒 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 粒 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 粒 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 隻 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 隻 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 粒 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 粒 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 粒 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 顆 |
| Jin | Yangyuan | 顆 |
| Jin | Datong | 顆 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 顆 |
| Jin | Lüliang (Lishi) | 顆 |
| Jin | Changzhi | 顆 |
| Jin | Linhe | 顆 |
| Jin | Jining | 顆 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 顆 |
| Jin | Erenhot | 顆 |
| Jin | Zhangjiakou | 顆 |
| Jin | Linzhou | 顆 |
| Jin | Suide | 顆 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 粒 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 粒 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 粒 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 粒 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 粒 |
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 顆 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 顆 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 隻, 粒 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 敉 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 敉 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 敉 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 敉 |

### Compounds

* 半粒
* 反粒子 (fǎnlìzǐ)
* 團粒 / 团粒
* 基本粒子 (jīběn lìzǐ)
* 大粒
* 微粒 (wēilì)
* 晶粒生長 / 晶粒生长
* 杯水粒粟
* 玉粒
* 番麥粒 / 番麦粒
* 米粒 (mǐlì)
* 米粒之珠
* 籽粒 (zǐlì)
* 粒兒 / 粒儿 (lìr)
* 粒子
* 粒度
* 粒米束薪
* 粒米狼戾
* 粒肥 (lìféi)
* 粒變岩 / 粒变岩
* 粒選 / 粒选
* 粒雪
* 細粒 / 细粒
* 細顆粒物 / 细颗粒物 (xìkēlìwù)
* 絕粒 / 绝粒
* 線粒體 / 线粒体 (xiànlìtǐ)
* 脫粒 / 脱粒 (tuōlì)
* 辟穀絕粒 / 辟谷绝粒
* 阿伐粒子
* 顆粒 / 颗粒 (kēlì)
* 顆粒性 / 颗粒性
* 顆粒物 / 颗粒物 (kēlìwù)
* 飛芻輓粒 / 飞刍挽粒
* 飯粒 / 饭粒 (fànlì)
* 麥粒腫 / 麦粒肿 (màilìzhǒng)

### References

* “粒”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–
* “Entry #7738”, in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2025.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Jōyō kanji)
* grains
* drop
* counter for tiny particles

#### Readings

* Go-on: りゅう (ryū, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: りゅう (ryū, Jōyō)
* Kun: つぶ (tsubu, 粒, Jōyō)

#### Compounds

* 粒(りゅう)子(し) (ryūshi, “particle”)
* 粒(りゅう)状(じょう) (ryūjō, “granulated”)
* 粒(りゅう)食(しょく) (ryūshoku, “eating grains, especially rice”)
* 粒(りゅう)米(まい) (ryūmai, “drop of rice”)
* 粒(りゅう)粒(りゅう) (ryūryū, “drop by drop”)
* 顆(か)粒(りゅう) (karyū, “granule”)
* 穀(こく)粒(りゅう) (kokuryū, “a drop of grain”)
* 粟(そく)粒(りゅう) (sokuryū, “drop of foxtail millet grains”)
* 麦(ばく)粒(りゅう) (bakuryū, “drop of wheat grains”)
* 米(べい)粒(りゅう) (beiryū, “drop of rice grains”)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 粒
* つぶ Grade: S
* kun'yomi
Not attested until a text from the Muromachi period with the spelling ツブ (tsubu).
An earlier form 粒 (tsubi) exists, which might have been the predecessor to this word; both must have been ultimately derived from a source cognate to つぶら (tsubura, “the state of being round and small”, obsolete).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) つぶ [tsúꜜbù] (Atamadaka –)
* IPA: [t͡sɨbɯ̟]
* (Kyoto) つぶ [tsúbú] (Kōki – [0])

#### Noun

粒(つぶ) • (tsubu)
* something round and small, such as a drop of grain or a bead
* the seed of a grain
* a black, hard seed obtained from the skin of a soapnut tree
* Synonym of 無患子 (mukuroji, “Indian soapberry (Sapindus mukoross)”)
* a small change of coins
* the bead of an abacus
* a person or thing who makes up a larger group of such
* a beat of a percussion instrument during performances such as noh and nagauta
* a wig used in kabuki plays whose chignon is small and round
* Synonym of 螺 (tsubu, “pond snail”, now dialectal)
* (slang, gambling) dice; die

#### Counter

粒(つぶ) • (-tsubu)
* used to count things that are round and small, such as seeds and pills
* (historical, Edo period) used to count 一分金 (ichibukin, “a currency equivalent to 1/4 of a 両 (ryō)”)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 粒
* つび Grade: S
* kun'yomi
From Old Japanese 粒 (tubi₂), itself attested since the Shin'yaku Kegonkyō Ongi Shiki of 794:
* 数其滴 古経為$_二$字$_一$滴音宅、訓都飛The number of those drops; in the old Buddhist sutras, the character 滴 (dī) meaning "drop" is to be read something like tek; the native Japanese reading for this word is tubi₂.
This word, along with 粒 (tsubu), must have been derived from a source cognate to つぶら (tsubura, “the state of being round and small”, obsolete).

#### Noun

粒(つび) • (tsubi)
* (obsolete) Synonym of 粒 (tsubu, “something round and small, etc.”)

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 粒
* つぼ Grade: S
* kun'yomi
First cited to a work from the late Muromachi period; this word is a variant of 粒 (tsubu).

#### Noun

粒(つぼ) • (tsubo)
* (slang, obsolete) Synonym of 粒 (tsubu, “something round and small, etc.”)

##### Usage notes

Often used in conjunction with other nouns.

### Etymology 4

* Kanji in this term
* 粒
* りゅう Grade: S
* on'yomi
From Middle Chinese 粒 (MC lip).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) りゅう [ryúꜜù] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [ɾʲɨː]

#### Affix

粒(りゅう) • (ryū)
* a drop of grain

#### Suffix

粒(りゅう) • (-ryū)
* used to count things that are round and small, such as seeds and pills

### References

* 1 2 3 4 5 “つぶ 【粒】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
* 1 2 3 4 “つび 【粒】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
* ↑ “つぼ 【粒】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here
* ↑ “りゅう［リフ］ 【粒】”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2000-2002, released online 2007, →ISBN, concise edition entry available here

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 粒 (MC lip). Recorded as Middle Korean 립〮 (líp) (Yale: lip) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

### Hanja

Wikisource 粒 (eumhun 알 립 (al rip), word-initial (South Korea) 알 입 (al ip))
* hanja form of 립/입 (“grain”)

#### Compounds

* 과립 (顆粒, gwarip, “granule”)
* 미립자 (微粒子, miripja, “corpuscle”)
* 입자 (粒子, ipja, “particle”)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

粒: Hán Nôm readings: lạp, lép
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

#### References

* Nom Foundation