吏
吏·official
- On-yomi
- リ
- Kun-yomi
- none
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Stroke order
Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.
Common words
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 官吏 | かんり | government official |
| 吏員 | りいん | public official, civil servant |
| 能吏 | のうり | capable official |
| 税吏 | ぜいり | tax collector |
Example sentences
彼の父は明治時代の官吏だった。
かれのちちはめいじじだいのかんりだった。
His father was a government official in the Meiji era.
市の吏員が現場を調査した。
しのりいんがげんばをちょうさした。
A city official investigated the site.
Similar-looking kanji
Do not confuse these on the exam.
Common mistakes
- Writing 官史 instead of 官吏 — 史 is history, not an official
- Assuming 吏 is used in everyday modern Japanese; it is largely formal or historical
Memory aid
Picture it
史 (history) with one more stroke on top: the record-keeper promoted into an official.
Vocabulary using this kanji
Quick check
1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5
What does the kanji 吏 mean?