Chinese name character
Chinese name character 理
lǐ
The character 理 (Mandarin lǐ) appears in 3 names and 2 syllables in this reference and is spelled Li and Lee in Malaysia. Recorded meanings include “reason, logic; truth”, “reason, logic; to put in order” and “principle, reason”.
- Names and syllables
- 5
- Malaysian spellings
- 2
- Strokes
- 11
- Attested in records
- 2
5 names and syllables in this reference have 理 as one of their character options. For 2 of them, 理 is attested in records of real names; the rest are possible characters for that spelling.
Meanings of 理: the recorded options
reason, logic; truth
in 3 character options · attested
reason, logic; to put in order
in 1 character options · attested
principle, reason
in 2 character options
Unihan definition: reason, logic; manage
What a name means depends on the characters the family chose and how they combine; these are options, not one definite meaning.
Malaysian spellings of 理
| Spelling | Romanization | attested in name records |
|---|---|---|
| Li | Mandarin | attested in name records |
| Lee | Hokkien · Cantonese · Teochew | possible |
Readings of 理 by dialect
Readings from the character options in our name records; Unihan gives Mandarin lǐ and Cantonese lei5.
3 names that can be written with 理
2 syllables that can stand for 理
Sources
- Wiktionary: 理 · en.wiktionary.org · meaning
- MDBG: 理 · mdbg.net · meaning
- Unicode Unihan Database: U+7406 · unicode.org · meaning
Readings, meanings and stroke count: the character options in our name records and the Unicode Unihan Database (Unicode License). A spelling describes how a name is written, not anyone’s dialect or background.
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Frequently asked questions
What does 理 mean in a name?
Our records give several meanings for 理, including “reason, logic; truth”, “reason, logic; to put in order” and “principle, reason”. What a name actually means depends on the characters the family chose and how they combine.
How is 理 spelled in Malaysia?
In our records 理 is spelled Li (Mandarin) and Lee (Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew). A spelling follows a dialect’s romanization; it does not show which dialect anyone speaks.
Is every Li written 理?
Not necessarily. The spelling Li can also stand for 俪, 丽, 麗, 历, 莉. Only the family knows which character was chosen.