lai6荔
Jyutpinglai6
Yalelaih
Definition
Chinese small iris; also refers to lychee (litchi).
- Chinese small iris
- Lychee; litchi
colloquialfood
How it's used
The character 荔 is almost exclusively seen as the first half of the compound 荔枝. While it refers to the iris plant in botanical contexts, native speakers will almost always associate it with the fruit. It is rarely used as a standalone noun in daily speech.
Measure word
nap1粒nāpExamples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse the character 荔 with 勵 or 厲, which share similar phonetic components but have entirely different meanings and usage contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
