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邻里 (lín lǐ) — neighbors (as a collective); the community of neighbors

Definition

邻里 refers to neighbors as a collective group or the relations among them — broader than just the people next door. It emphasizes community bonds rather than a single person (邻居).

noun
neighbors (as a collective)the community of neighbors

Examples

  • 邻里，。
    lín lǐ Zhī jiān yào hù xiāng bāng zhù, cái néng xiāng chǔ róng qià.
    Neighbors should help each other to get along harmoniously.
  • 邻里，。
    Zhè ge shè qū de lín lǐ guān xì fēi cháng hǎo, dà jiā jīng cháng yì qǐ huó dòng.
    The neighborly relations in this community are very good; everyone often does activities together.
  • 邻里。
    lín lǐ Hé mù shì jiàn shè xìng fú shè qū de jī chǔ.
    Harmony among neighbors is the foundation for building a happy community.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

邻línneighbor
里lǐneighborhood

邻 points to neighbors, while 里 points to the neighborhood; together they mean the community of neighbors.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 鄰; 邻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
粦
粦lín鄰lín
Same sound today

The traditional form 鄰 pairs 粦 (lín) as the sound part with 阝 (the full form 邑, a settlement) as the meaning part; 邻 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 邻 →

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.

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.

Open 里 →
Appears in
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