리

See also: -리- and -리

(see above for verbal suffixes)

리	U+B9AC, 리 HANGUL SYLLABLE RI

Composition:

ㄹ + ㅣ

← 릫
[U+B9AB]

Hangul Syllables

릭 →
[U+B9AD]

릐 ←	→ 마
리릭 릮 릯 린 릱 릲 릳 릴 릵 릶 릷 릸 릹 릺 릻 림 립 릾 릿 맀 링 맂 맃 맄 맅 맆 맇

Korean

Etymology 1

Sino-Korean word from 理 (“reason; logic”).

Pronunciation 1

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾi]
Phonetic hangul: [리]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	ri
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	li
McCune–Reischauer^?	ri
Yale Romanization^?	li

Dependent noun

리 • (ri) (hanja 理)

(usually in the negative or the interrogative) way, reason, sense
그럴 리가 없다. ― Geureol ri-ga eopda. ― That can't be true.

주인공 이 죽을 리가 있 겠 냐? ― ju'in'gong-i jugeul ri-ga itgennya? ― How does it make sense for the main character to die?
- 1908, 이인직 [iinjik], 雉(치)岳(악)山(산), volume I, page 32:
  ᄀᆡ화ᄒᆞᆫ 아들 잇것다 ᄀᆡ화ᄒᆞᆫ 며누리 잇것다 집 이 잘 되지 망ᄒᆞᆯ 리가 있소
  gaehwa-han adeul itgeotda gaehwa-han myeonuri itgeotda jib-i jal doeji mang-hal ri-ga itso
  We have a Westernized son, we have a Westernized daughter-in-law; of course our family will do well, how on earth could it go to ruin?

Related terms

이유 (iyu, “reason”)
논리 (nolli, “logic”)

Pronunciation 2

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾi(ː)]
Phonetic hangul: [리(ː)]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	ri
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	li
McCune–Reischauer^?	ri
Yale Romanization^?	lī

Noun

South Korean Standard Language	이/리(理) (i/ri)
North Korean Standard Language	리(理) (ri)

리 • (ri) (hanja 理)

(East Asian philosophy, especially Confucianism) li, the underlying ordering principle of the cosmos
Coordinate term: 기(氣) (gi, vital force engendering the cosmos)

Usage notes

In the case of this specific word, the 리 (ri) pronunciation is common even in South Korea. The reason may be to avoid homophony with other Chinese characters, given the context of East Asian philosophy where single-character Chinese terms are common.

Derived terms

See the hanja entry at 理 for Sino-Korean compounds of 리 (理, ri).

Etymology 2

Sino-Korean word from 里 (“village; unit of distance”).

Noun

South Korean Standard Language	이/리(里) (i/ri)
North Korean Standard Language	리(里) (ri)

리 • (ri) (hanja 里)

(government) village; a Korean administrative division covering a small settlement and its surrounding hinterland.

Usage notes

이(里) (i) is the prescriptive form in the South Korean standard, but 리(里) (ri) is more common.

Coordinate terms

administrative divisions of South Koreaedit

구(區) (gu)
군(郡) (gun)
도(道) (do)
동(洞) (dong)
리(里) (ri)
면(面) (myeon)
시(市) (si)
읍(邑) (eup)

Counter

리 • (ri) (hanja 里)

li; East Asian unit of distance (traditionally around 393 metres in Korea)

Derived terms

See the hanja entry at 里 for Sino-Korean compounds of 리 (里, ri).

Etymology 3

An orthographic borrowing from Japanese 厘.

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾi(ː)]
Phonetic hangul: [리(ː)]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	ri
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	li
McCune–Reischauer^?	ri
Yale Romanization^?	lī

Noun

리 • (ri) (hanja 厘)

a thousandth
Coordinate terms: 할(割) (hal, “tenth”), 푼(分) (pun, “hundredth”)

Etymology 4

Sino-Korean word from 李, Middle Korean reading 리〯 (Lǐ) and 니〯 (Nǐ).

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾi(ː)]
Phonetic hangul: [리(ː)]
- Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	Ri
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	Li
McCune–Reischauer^?	Ri
Yale Romanization^?	lī

Proper noun

South Korean Standard Language	이(李) (I)
North Korean Standard Language	리(李) (Ri)

리 • (Ri) (hanja 李)

North Korea standard form of 이(李) (I, “Lee”, the second most common Korean surname).

Usage notes

Most South Koreans romanize it as "Lee", but in North Korea the common romanization is "Ri".

Etymology 5

Sino-Korean word from 裏/裡 (“inside”).

Pronunciation

(SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [ɾi]
Phonetic hangul: [리]

Romanizations
Revised Romanization^?	ri
Revised Romanization (translit.)^?	li
McCune–Reischauer^?	ri
Yale Romanization^?	li

Suffix

—리 • (-ri) (hanja 裏/裡)

inside, within, inner

Derived terms

See the hanja entry at 裏 for Sino-Korean compounds of 리 (裏, ri).

Etymology 6

Modern Korean reading of various Chinese characters, when preceded by another character in a compound. When used as the first character of a compound or in isolation, they are pronounced as 이 (i).

Following a language reform in the mid-twentieth century, North Koreans always read them as 리 (ri) in any position, but this was not standard before the division of Korea.

Syllable

리 • (ri)

More information

(South Korea) 里: town
(eumhun reading: 마을 리 (ma'eul ri))
(MC reading: 里 (MC liX))
(South Korea) 理: rule
(eumhun reading: 다스릴 리 (daseuril ri))
(MC reading: 理 (MC liX))
(South Korea) 利: benefit
(eumhun reading: 이로울 리 (iroul ri))
(MC reading: 利 (MC lijH))
(South Korea) 梨: pear tree
(eumhun reading: 배나무 리 (baenamu ri))
(MC reading: 梨 (MC lij))
(South Korea) 李: plum tree
(eumhun reading: 오얏나무 리 (oyannamu ri))
(MC reading: 李 (MC liX))
(South Korea) 吏: petty official
(eumhun reading: 아전 리 (ajeon ri))
(MC reading: 吏 (MC liH))
(South Korea) 離: leave
(eumhun reading: 떠날 리 (tteonal ri))
(MC reading: 離 (MC lje|ljeH|lejH))
(South Korea) 裏: inside
(eumhun reading: 속 리 (sok ri))
(MC reading: 裏 (MC liX))
(South Korea) 履: trample, step on
(eumhun reading: 밟을 리 (balbeul ri))
(MC reading: 履 (MC lijX))
(South Korea) 俚: vulgar
(eumhun reading: 속될 리 (sokdoel ri))
(MC reading: 俚 (MC liX))
(South Korea) 莉: jasmine
(eumhun reading: 말리 리 (malli ri))
(MC reading: 莉 (MC drij|dri|lej))
(South Korea) 璃: glass
(eumhun reading: 유리 리 (yuri ri))
(MC reading: 璃 (MC lje))
(South Korea) 俐: clever
(eumhun reading: 똑똑할 리 (ttokttokhal ri))
(MC reading: 俐)
(South Korea) 唎: thin voice
(eumhun reading: 가는 소리 리 (ganeun sori ri))
(MC reading: 唎)
(South Korea) 浬: nautical mile
(eumhun reading: 해리 리 (haeri ri))
(MC reading: 浬)
(South Korea) 狸: wild cat
(eumhun reading: 삵 리 (sak ri))
(MC reading: 狸 (MC li))
(South Korea) 痢: diarrhea
(eumhun reading: 설사 리 (seolsa ri))
(MC reading: 痢 (MC lijH))
(South Korea) 籬: fence
(eumhun reading: 울타리 리 (ultari ri))
(MC reading: 籬 (MC lje))
(South Korea) 罹: fall ill, get sick
(eumhun reading: 걸릴 리 (geollil ri))
(MC reading: 罹 (MC lje))
(South Korea) 羸: ashen
(eumhun reading: 파리할 리 (parihal ri))
(MC reading: 羸 (MC ljwe))
(South Korea) 釐: ruling
(eumhun reading: 다스릴 리 (daseuril ri))
(MC reading: 釐 (MC li))
(South Korea) 鯉: carp
(eumhun reading: 잉어 리 (ing'eo ri))
(MC reading: 鯉 (MC liX))
(South Korea) 涖: reach
(eumhun reading: 다다를 리 (dadareul ri))
(MC reading: 涖 (MC lijH|lejH))
(South Korea) 𢻠: upright
(eumhun reading: 바르다 리 (bareuda ri))
(MC reading: 𢻠)
(South Korea) 犂: plow
(eumhun reading: 밭 갈 리 (bat gal ri))
(MC reading: 犂 (MC lij))
(South Korea) 摛: spread
(eumhun reading: 퍼질 리 (peojil ri))
(MC reading: 摛 (MC trhje))
(South Korea) 剺: peel
(eumhun reading: 벗길 리 (beotgil ri))
(MC reading: 剺 (MC li))
(South Korea) 哩: a particle
(eumhun reading: 어조사 리 (eojosa ri))
(MC reading: 哩)
(South Korea) 嫠: widow
(eumhun reading: 과부 리 (gwabu ri))
(MC reading: 嫠 (MC li))
(South Korea) 莅: reach
(eumhun reading: 다다를 리 (dadareul ri))
(MC reading: 莅 (MC lijH))
(South Korea) 蜊: clam
(eumhun reading: 참조개 리 (chamjogae ri))
(MC reading: 蜊 (MC lij))
(South Korea) 螭: hornless dragon
(eumhun reading: 교룡 리 (gyoryong ri))
(MC reading: 螭 (MC trhje))
(South Korea) 貍: lynx
(eumhun reading: 삵 리 (sak ri))
(MC reading: 貍 (MC li))
(South Korea) 邐: connect
(eumhun reading: 이어질 리 (ieojil ri))
(MC reading: 邐 (MC ljeX))
(South Korea) 魑: goblin
(eumhun reading: 도깨비 리 (dokkaebi ri))
(MC reading: 魑 (MC trhje))
(South Korea) 黐: flypaper
(eumhun reading: 끈끈이 리 (kkeunkkeuni ri))
(MC reading: 黐 (MC lje|trhje))
(South Korea) 漓: to permeate
(eumhun reading: 스며들 리 (seumyeodeul ri))
(MC reading: 漓 (MC lje))
(South Korea) 裡: Alternative form of 裏
(MC reading: 裡 (MC liX))
(South Korea) 离: Alternative form of 離
(MC reading: 离 (MC lje|trhje))
(South Korea) 悧: Alternative form of 俐
(MC reading: 悧)
(South Korea) 厘: Alternative form of 釐
(MC reading: 厘)
(South Korea) 犁: Alternative form of 犂
(MC reading: 犁 (MC lej))

References

Supreme Court of the Republic of Korea (대한민국 대법원, Daehanmin'guk Daebeobwon) (2018). Table of hanja for personal names (인명용 한자표 / 人名用漢字表, Inmyeong-yong hanja-pyo), page 14. [1]
국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [2]