理 (lǐ) — (noun) reason; logic; truth; principle; (noun) texture; grain (as in wood or stone); (verb) to manage; to handle; to put in order; to tidy up
Definition
理 (lǐ) is a rare single-morpheme word meaning both 'reason/logic' and 'tidy up/manage.' In the 'logic' sense, 道理 is the everyday phrase; 理 alone is used in set expressions. As a verb, 收拾 is the more colloquial 'tidy up.'
noun
reasonlogictruthprincipletexturegrain (as in wood or stone)
verb
to manageto handleto put in orderto tidy up
Easily confused
Examples
- 。Tā méi yǒu dào lǐ.He has no reason / his words make no sense.
- 理。Qǐng nǐ lǐ yí xià zhuō zi.Please tidy up the desk.
- 理。Tā bú zài lǐ wǒ le.He no longer pays attention to me.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.
Appears in
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