Dictionary › 理

理

lǐ

HSK 3 Character

What 理 means

1. texture
2. grain (of wood)
3. inner essence
4. intrinsic order
5. reason
6. logic
7. truth
8. science
9. natural science (esp. physics)
10. to manage
11. to pay attention to
12. to run (affairs)
13. to handle
14. to put in order
15. to tidy up

Example sentences

• 不可理喻
  Bùkělǐyù
  Nonsense!
• 不理她。
  Don't pay attention to her.
• 能理解？
  Understand?
• 有道理。
  Yes, that makes sense.
• 别理汤姆。
  Bié lǐ Tāngmǔ.
  Ignore Tom.
• 你有道理。
  You're right.

Words starting with 理

• 理解lǐ jiěto comprehend; to understand
• 理想lǐ xiǎngan ideal; a dream; ideal
• 理发lǐ fàto get a haircut; to have one's hair done; to cut (sb's) hair; to give (sb) a haircut
• 理论lǐ lùntheory; to argue; to take notice of
• 理由lǐ yóureason; grounds; justification
• 理智lǐ zhìreason; intellect; rationality
• 理所当然lǐ suǒ dāng ránas it should be by rights (idiom); proper and to be expected as a matter of course…
• 理睬lǐ cǎito heed; to pay attention to
• 理直气壮lǐ zhí qì zhuàngin the right and self-confident (idiom); bold and confident with justice on one's side…
• 理念lǐ niànidea; concept; philosophy
• 理性lǐ xìngreason; rationality; rational
• 理财lǐ cáito manage wealth; to manage finances; money management
• 理会lǐ huìto understand; to pay attention to; to take notice of
• 理科lǐ kēthe sciences (as opposed to the humanities 文科
• 理事lǐ shìmember of council; (literary) to take care of matters
• 理工lǐ gōngscience and engineering as academic subjects
• 理应lǐ yīngshould; ought to
• 理事会lǐ shì huìcouncil
• 理发店lǐ fà diànbarbershop; hairdresser's
• 理发师lǐ fà shībarber; hairdresser
• 理想主义lǐ xiǎng zhǔ yìidealism
• 理事长lǐ shì zhǎngdirector general
• 理论家lǐ lùn jiātheorist; theoretician
• 理工科lǐ gōng kēscience and engineering as academic subjects

Words containing 理

• 管理guǎn lǐto supervise; to manage; to administer
• 经理jīng lǐmanager; director
• 处理chǔ lǐto handle; to deal with; to punish; to treat sth by a special process; to process
• 心理xīn lǐpsychology; mentality
• 整理zhěng lǐto arrange; to tidy up; to sort out
• 道理dào lireason; argument; sense
• 办理bàn lǐto handle; to transact; to conduct
• 合理hé lǐrational; reasonable; sensible; fair
• 总理zǒng lǐpremier; prime minister
• 地理dì lǐgeography
• 真理zhēn lǐtruth
• 物理wù lǐphysics; physical; relating to the material world
• 代理dài lǐto act on behalf of sb in a responsible position; to act as an agent or proxy; surrogate
• 原理yuán lǐprinciple; theory
• 清理qīng lǐto clear up; to tidy up; to dispose of
• 助理zhù lǐassistant
• 生理shēng lǐphysiology
• 治理zhì lǐto govern; to administer; to manage
• 修理xiū lǐto repair; to fix; to prune
• 审理shěn lǐto hear (a case)
• 推理tuī lǐreasoning; inference; to infer
• 条理tiáo lǐarrangement; order; tidiness
• 情理qíng lǐreason; sense
• 无理取闹wú lǐ qǔ nào(idiom) to make trouble without reason; to be deliberately provocative

Characters built on 里

These share the phonetic component 里 (lǐ), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 厘líone hundredth; centi-
• 哩lǐmile
• 锂lǐlithium (chemistry)
• 狸lí(bound form) used in the names of small mammals
• 鲤lǐcarp
• 俚lǐrustic; vulgar; unrefined
• 娌lǐused in 妯娌

Characters that look like 理

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 程chéngrule; order; regulations
• 颁bānto promulgate; to send out; to issue
• 埋máito bury
• 琐suǒfragmentary; trifling
• 堀kūcave; hole
• 殒yǔn(literary) to perish; to die

Sounds the same

Read lǐ, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 里lining; interior; inside
• 礼gift; rite; ceremony
• 李plum
• 哩mile
• 娌used in 妯娌
• 俚rustic; vulgar; unrefined
• 澧Lishui River in north Hunan, flowing into Lake Dongting 洞庭湖; surname Li
• 锂lithium (chemistry)
• 鲤carp
• 豊ceremonial vessel; variant of 礼
• 醴sweet wine
• 浬nautical mile