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锐利 (ruì lì) — sharp, keen, penetrating (of objects or senses)

Definition

Adjective for things that are physically sharp or perceptually acute (gaze, insight, criticism). Stronger and more literary than the everyday 锋利, which leans toward cutting edges.

adjective
sharpkeenpenetrating (of objects or senses)

Examples

  • 锐利。
    Zhè bǎ dāo hěn ruì lì.
    This knife is very sharp.
  • 锐利，。
    Tā de mù guāng hěn ruì lì, yì yǎn jiù kàn chū le wèn tí.
    His gaze is sharp; he spotted the problem at a glance.
  • 锐利，。
    Tā de pī píng hěn ruì lì, shuō dé wǒ wú huà kě shuō.
    His criticism was sharp; it left me speechless.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

锐ruìsharp
利lìsharp

The senses of '锐' and '利' both mean sharp, together expressing keenness.

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 銳; 锐 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
釒釒jīngold
Sound part声符shēngfú
兌
兌duì銳ruì
Same sound today

The traditional form 銳 pairs 釒, a gold sign, with 兌 as the sound part; the simplified 锐 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical sound part.

Open 锐 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →
Appears in
Texture & Quality

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