里

Readings

• Go-on: り (ri, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: り (ri, Jōyō)
• Kun: さと (sato, 里, Jōyō)、みちのり (michinori, 里)
• Nanori: か (ka)、さ (sa)、さとし (satoshi)、と (to)、のり (nori)

Compounds

Alternative forms

• (village, hometown): 郷

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) さと [sàtó] (Heiban – [0])^[3][4]
• IPA^(key): [sa̠to̞]

Noun

里(さと) • (sato) 

1. a village

   Synonyms: 村 (mura), 村里 (murazato)

2. a country house
3. one's hometown

   Synonyms: 田舎 (inaka), 故郷 (kokyō)

4. the country, countryside
5. the original home of a household member (such as a wife, adoptee, or other person who has joined the household from outside)
6. a separate home or boarding situation to which one's own children are sent for upbringing or education
7. a red-light district

   Synonym: 遊里 (yūri)

8. one's birth, parentage, origins
9. (slang, red-light district) boorishness, hickishness
10. the lay world (as opposed to life within a temple)
11. (uncommon, historical, obsolete) Same as り (ri) below

Derived terms

Adjective

里(さと) • (sato) -na (adnominal 里(さと)な (sato na), adverbial 里(さと)に (sato ni))

1. (slang, red-light district) boorish, hickish

Proper noun

里(さと) • (Sato) 

1. a placename
2. a surname
3. a female given name

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) り [ríꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[3][4]
• IPA^(key): [ɾʲi]

Noun

里(り) • (ri) 

1. a unit of distance:
   1. under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system, defined as equal to 300 歩 (bu) or 1500 尺 (shaku)
   2. from the early modern until the end of the Edo period, defined as equal to 36 町 (chō), approximately between 3.6 to 4.2 kilometers
   3. from the mid-Meiji period, defined as equal to ^129,600⁄₃₃ meters, approximately 3.927 kilometers or 2.44 miles
2. (historical) under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system, a unit of area for regional administration, equal to 50 戸 (ko, “houses”)

Derived terms

• 英(えい)里(り) (eiri, “mile”)
• 海(かい)里(り) (kairi, “nautical mile”)

Affix

里(り) • (ri) 

1. village

Proper noun

里(さとし) • (Satoshi) 

1. a male given name

里(ざと) • (Zato) 

1. a placename

Compounds

• 이장 (里長, ijang, “head of a (typically rural) village”)
• 천리마 (千里馬, cheollima, “Chollima, thousand-li horse”)

Readings

• On (unclassified): り (ri, Jōyō)
• Kun: さとぅ (satu)

Noun

里(さとぅ) (satu) 

1. (literary or poetic) beau, lover

   月も眺めたいでかやう立ち戻ら、里やわが宿に待ちゆらだいもの

   tsichi-n nagamitai dikayo tachimudura, satu-ya waga yadu ni muchura demunu

   I also want to look at the moon, so come on, let's go. My darling shall be waiting at the house.

Usage notes

Used from a woman to a man. The term for a homeland is 親の家 (uya nu ya), and the term for a village is either 島 (shima) or 村 (mura).

Suffix

里(り) (-ri) 

1. a unit of distance:
   1. under the 律令 (Ritsuryō) system, defined as equal to 300 Japanese 歩 (bu) or 1500 Japanese 尺 (shaku)
   2. from the early modern until the end of the Edo period, defined as equal to 36 Japanese 町 (chō), approximately between 3.6 to 4.2 kilometers
   3. from the mid-Meiji period, defined as equal to ^129,600⁄₃₃ meters, approximately 3.927 kilometers or 2.44 miles

Derived terms

• 里人 (sato₁bi₁to₂)
• ふるさと (purusato₁)
• 小里 (wosato₁)

Descendants

• Japanese: 里 (さと, sato)