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机灵 (jī ling) — clever, smart, quick-witted

Definition

Colloquial adjective for 'quick-witted and alert' — emphasizes sharp reactions, like guessing fast or learning tricks. 机智 is more about resourceful thinking under pressure; 乖巧 adds a 'well-behaved, cute' tone for kids or pets.

adjective
cleversmartquick-witted

Examples

  • 机灵，。
    Zhè ge xiǎo péng yǒu zhēn jī ling, yí xià zi jiù cāi dào le dá àn.
    This child is really clever — he guessed the answer right away.
  • 机灵。
    jī ling De xiǎo gǒu néng xué huì hěn duō xiǎo bǎ xì.
    A quick-witted little dog can learn many small tricks.
  • 机灵，。
    Tā zuò shì hěn jī ling, zǒng yòng zuì kuài de bàn fǎ.
    She is very smart about getting things done and always uses the quickest method.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

机jīquick-witted
灵língclever

'机' (quick-witted) and '灵' (clever) together mean clever and quick-witted.

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
木木mùtree; wood
Sound part声符shēngfú
几
几jǐ机jī
Same sound today

The left part is 木 (tree; wood), and the right part 几 gives the sound.

Open 机 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 靈; 灵 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
霝
霝líng靈líng
Same sound today

This note describes the traditional form 靈, not the simplified 灵: 霝 gives the sound, and 玉 (jade) is the meaning part.

Open 灵 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Personality & Traits

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