lai6礪砺
Jyutpinglai6
Yalelaih
Definition
Rough-grained grinding stone used for sharpening tools.
writtenother
How it's used
This character is primarily a literary morpheme rather than a standalone noun in modern spoken Cantonese. It is almost exclusively encountered in the compound 砥礪, which serves as a formal metaphor for self-improvement or mutual encouragement through hardship. You will rarely hear a native speaker use it to refer to a physical whetstone in casual conversation, as 磨刀石 is the standard term for that object.
Measure word
gau6嚿gauhExamples
This grinding stone makes the knife sharp very quickly.
Related words
Common phrases
to hone skills or character
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 厲, which shares a similar appearance but refers to being fierce, severe, or sharp. Using 礪 when you mean to describe someone as strict or intense is a common orthographic error.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
