grains, drop, counter for tiny particles
粒 centers on a single small, discrete unit: a grain of rice, a drop of liquid, or any tiny particle counted individually.
粒 combines 米 (rice) and 立, which likely contributes the sound and the idea of a single standing grain. The character originally referred to a grain of rice and later extended to other small particles.
Rice 米 standing 立 alone: each grain is a separate tiny particle, like a drop or a single piece.
For リュウ, imagine a single grain of rice flowing down a stream: the flow of the grain cues リュウ, and each grain is a tiny particle.
grain; bead; drop
particle; grain
corpuscle; minute particle; particulate
granule
elementary particle; particle
small (of a grain or berry, etc.)
large drop (of rain, sweat, tears, etc.); large grain-like object (e.g. grape, cherry)
grains; lumps; drops; beads; pulp
granular; granulated
raindrop
whole wheat flour
grains of sand
speck
one grain; one drop; one bead
each grain; every grain
uniform excellence
K-meson; kaon
alpha particle
beta particle
gauge boson