理清 (lǐ qīng) — to disentangle (literal, e.g., wires, cables);… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

verb

to disentangle (literal, e.g., wires, cables)to clarifyto sort out (figurative, e.g., thoughts, a situation)

Examples

理清。
Tā bǎ nòng luàn de diàn xiàn lǐ qīng le.
She disentangled the tangled wires.
理清。
Wǒ xū yào lǐ qīng zì jǐ de sī lù.
I need to clarify my own thoughts.
理清。
Nǐ xiān lǐ qīng qíng kuàng zài jué dìng.
First clarify the situation before deciding.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

理, sort, is completed by 清, clear, giving sort out clearly.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

玉玉yùjade

Sound part声符shēngfú

里

里lǐ理lǐ

Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

氵青清

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

青

青qīng清qīng

Same sound today

清 has 氵 (water) on the left and 青 on the right to show its sound.

Appears in

Thinking & Cognition

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