评理 (píng lǐ) — to reason with someone, to have things out (by appealing to fairness or right and wrong)

Definition

A colloquial verb meaning to argue a point of right and wrong with someone, usually to settle a dispute. It is a separable verb: insert a measure word (评个理) or aspect marker (评了理) between the two characters.

verb
to reason with someoneto have things out (by appealing to fairness or right and wrong)

Examples

  • 评理。
    Zán men zhǎo tā píng lǐ qù.
    Let's go have it out with him.
  • ，。
    Nǐ gēn tā píng gè lǐ, kàn tā zuò dé duì bú duì.
    Reason with him and see if what he did was right.
  • ，。
    Tā men píng le bàn tiān lǐ, zuì hòu hái shì méi jié guǒ.
    They reasoned for a long time but still got no result.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

评píngjudge
理lǐreason

评 gives the idea of judging, and 理 gives the idea of right and wrong, so it means to judge between them.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 評; 评 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yán
Sound part声符shēngfú
平
平píng評píng
Same sound today

The traditional form 評 uses 言 for speech and 平 as a sound part; the simplified 评 is a later shorthand.

Open 评 →

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.

Open 理 →

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