市里 (shì lǐ) — (classifier) li, a Chinese unit of length equal… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

市里 (shì lǐ) — note: in this row, 里 is a CLASSIFIER / unit of length (∼500 m), not the common "inside" location word. Used as 里 / 公里 / 千米 in measurements, not for cities.

classifier

li, a Chinese unit of length equal to 500 meters

Examples

市里。
Cóng zhè lǐ dào nà jiā diàn dà yuē liǎng shì lǐ.
From here to that shop is about two li (roughly a kilometer).
市里。
Tā měi tiān pǎo bù wǔ shì lǐ lù.
He runs five li every day.
市里。
Yí shì lǐ děng yú wǔ bǎi mǐ.
One li equals 500 meters.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

市 points to the market system, and 里 is the li length unit.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

兮兮xībustling

Sound part声符shēngfú

之

之zhī市shì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The old form 市 pairs 兮, meaning bustling, with 之, the sound part.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裡; 里 is its simplified writing.

The simplified 里 stands for more than one traditional character. In most words (里, 里面) it is 裡; in others (公里) it is 里 or 裏.

衤里裡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

衤Written in full as衣yīclothes

Sound part声符shēngfú

里

里lǐ裡lǐ

Same sound today

The form 裡 pairs 衤 (clothes) with 里 as a sound component.

Appears in

Units & Measurement

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