梨

• Pinyin: lí
• Hanzi breakdown: 梨 = 利 (sharp/benefit, phonetic) + 木 (tree), a fruit-bearing tree

Meaning

Pear. The fruit or the pear tree.

A common fruit in Chinese cuisine and culture. Pears hold cultural significance — they should not be shared or split because 分梨 sounds like 分离 (to separate). Chinese pears (Asian pears) are typically round and crisp, different from Western varieties.

Examples

1. 这种梨特别甜，是这个地方的特产。 This type of pear is especially sweet; it's a local specialty.
2. 奶奶用冰糖和梨煮了一碗润肺的甜汤。 Grandma made a bowl of lung-nourishing sweet soup with rock sugar and pear.
3. 情侣不能分梨吃，因为谐音是分离。 Couples shouldn't share a pear because it sounds like 'to separate.

Usage Guide

Context: food, everyday, culture

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我买了几个梨回来。(I bought a few pears.)
• 冰糖炖梨可以润喉。(Pear stewed with rock sugar can soothe the throat.)

Don't Say

• 我们把这个梨分了吧。(Avoid saying this to your partner — splitting a pear sounds like 'separating,' which is inauspicious)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 木 (tree) radical indicates it's a plant, 利 (lì) provides the sound. One of the earliest cultivated fruits in China.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal