Meaning
理 is a fundamental Chinese concept referring to reason, logic, truth, or the underlying principle of things. As a verb, it means to manage, handle, or pay attention to something or someone. It's deeply rooted in Chinese philosophy, particularly Neo-Confucianism, where it represents the natural order or pattern governing all things.
Usage
As a noun, 理 often appears in compound words related to reason and management (如理由, 道理). As a verb, it's commonly used in negative constructions like 不理人 (to ignore someone). In everyday speech, 有道理 (to make sense) and 理发 (to get a haircut) are extremely common expressions using this character.
Examples
- 01你说的很有道理。.What you said makes a lot of sense.
- 02他生气了，不理我。, .He got angry and is ignoring me.
Common collocations
- 有道理to make sense, to be reasonable
- 理发to get a haircut
- 不理to ignore, to pay no attention to
- 讲道理to reason with, to be reasonable
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 王 (jade) and 里 (village/inside), originally meaning to polish jade, which extended metaphorically to organizing, managing, and understanding the patterns within things.