Kanji Breakdown: 厘
Meaning: A small unit (1/1000 of a sun, 1/100 of a sen); tiny amount; 0.1% (in modern usage)
Reading: On'yomi: リン (rin)
Structure:
Outer (厂): "cliff/shelter" radical
Inner (里): "village" character
The character combines "shelter" with "village" - originally representing a small sheltered settlement, which evolved to mean "a tiny unit."
Core Vocabulary & Examples:
厘 (りん, rin)
0.1%, one-thousandth (traditional unit)
利益が厘単位で計算される (Profits are calculated down to the fraction of a percent)
一厘 (いちりん, ichirin)
One rin (smallest monetary unit)
一厘の違いも許されない (Not even a tiny fraction of difference is allowed)
厘毛 (りんもう, rinnmō)
The slightest amount, tiny bit
厘毛も疑いがない (There's not even a shred of doubt)
Key Insight: 厘 represents extreme precision and minuteness - the smallest measurable unit in traditional Japanese measurement systems. While no longer used in currency, it survives in expressions emphasizing microscopic amounts or absolute precision in calculations and measurements.
*Stroke Order: 9 strokes. Write top-left stroke first, then complete the character.*