Meaning & readings

officer, an official

On’yomi リ
Nanori さと、し

Origin

This character combines two elements: the box or mouth symbol (口), which often represents official matters or speech, and the tall measure symbol (丈), which appears twice to emphasize authority or stature. The repetition of the taller element suggests someone of standing or rank, while the mouth component indicates their role involves giving orders and handling official business. Together, these parts evoke the idea of a person in an official position—someone with authority who speaks on behalf of the government.

吏 6 strokes

Components

  • 丈 meaning part
  • 口 radical
  • 丈 meaning part

Common words

  • 官吏 かんり government official; public servant

Easily confused with

These look alike but are unrelated in meaning — check the stroke that differs.

Reference

Strokes
6
Kangxi radical
30
Formation type
Compound ideographic (combined meanings)
Grade
Jōyō (secondary school)
Frequency rank
—
Former JLPT
level 1
Unicode
U+0540F