夜里 (yè lǐ) — nighttime; (during the) night

Definition

noun

nighttime(during the) night

夜里。
yè lǐ Jiē shàng rén hěn shǎo.
There are very few people on the street at night.
夜里。
Tā yè lǐ jīng cháng jiā bān.
He often works overtime at night.
夜里。
yè lǐ De gōng yuán tè bié ān jìng.
The park is especially quiet at night.

Derived word

构词法gòucífǎ

后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

里lǐtime suffix

夜 gives the night sense, and 里 forms a time expression.

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

夕夕xīmoon

Sound part声符shēngfú

亦

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 夜 pairs 亦 as a sound part with 夕 as a moon part, for night. In the modern shape, the 亦 part is broken up and one stroke merges into 夕.

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

Same sound today

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

Appears in