li
Definition
- Noun:
- A small unit of measurement: In traditional Vietnamese measurement, a "li" is a very small unit of length, equal to one-thousandth of a "thước" (Vietnamese yard), approximately 0.04 cm.
- A tiny amount, a little bit: "Li" can refer to a very small quantity of something.
- A type of small cup or glass (dialectal): In some dialects, "li" refers to a small drinking vessel, often for alcohol like wine.
- A fold or pleat (in clothing): Refers to a crease or fold in fabric.
- One of the Eight Trigrams (archaic): In ancient cosmology, "li" is one of the eight trigrams (bát quái).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Đơn vị đo lường này rất nhỏ, chỉ bằng một li. (This unit of measurement is very small, just one li.)
- Anh ấy chỉ uống một li rượu nhỏ. (He only drank a small glass of wine.)
- Chiếc váy có những đường li rất đẹp. (The dress has very beautiful pleats.)
- Sai một li, đi một dặm. (To err by a li is to go astray by a mile. / A small error leads to a big mistake.)
Advanced Usage
- "Sai một li, đi một dặm": A proverb meaning a tiny initial mistake can lead to enormous consequences. It emphasizes the importance of precision.
- Trong kỹ thuật, nguyên tắc "sai một li, đi một dặm" luôn phải được ghi nhớ. (In engineering, the principle that "a small error leads to a big mistake" must always be remembered.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ly (noun): The more common, standard modern word for "glass" or "cup". "Li" in the sense of a drinking vessel is considered a dialectal variant of "ly".
- Anh ấy uống một ly nước. (He drank a glass of water.)
Synonyms
- Chút, chút xíu (noun): A bit, a little bit (for the "small amount" meaning).
- Ly (noun): Cup, glass (for the drinking vessel meaning).
- Nếp gấp (noun): Fold, pleat (for the clothing meaning).
Related Idioms
- Sai một li, đi một dặm: As explained above, this is the primary and most common idiom featuring the word "li". It is equivalent to the English sayings "A miss is as good as a mile" or "For want of a nail...".