Meaning of 理智
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- reason
- intellect
- rationality
- rational
How to use 理智
理智 works as a noun for the faculty of reason and as an adjective meaning calm and rational, often used when emotions run high. You will often hear it in advice or in phrases like 失去理智 (shīqù lǐzhì, to lose one's reason). Example: 你要理智一点。(Nǐ yào lǐzhì yìdiǎn.) You need to be a bit more rational.
理 (lǐ) means reason or logic, as in 道理 (dàolǐ), and 智 (zhì) means wisdom. Put reason and wisdom together and you get a clear, rational mind.
Common mistake: Learners often use 理由 (lǐyóu) and 理智 interchangeably because both translate as "reason," but 理由 is a reason or excuse for doing something, while 理智 is the ability to think rationally. Also keep the tones straight: third tone then fourth tone, lǐzhì.
理智 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
理 lǐ · texture · 11 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
智 zhì · wisdom · 12 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Related words
Words that share a character with 理智.
| 道理 | dàolǐ | reason; argument |
| 经理 | jīnglǐ | manager; director |
| 理想 | lǐxiǎng | an ideal; a dream |
| 处理 | chǔlǐ | to handle; to deal with; to punish |
| 理解 | lǐjiě | to comprehend; to understand |
| 理由 | lǐyóu | reason; grounds |
| 理论 | lǐlùn | theory; to argue |
| 管理 | guǎnlǐ | to supervise; to manage |
| 整理 | zhěnglǐ | to arrange; to tidy up |
| 合理 | hélǐ | rational; reasonable; sensible; fair |
| 理发 | lǐfà | to get a haircut; to have one's hair done; to cut (sb's) hair; to give (sb) a haircut |
| 办理 | bànlǐ | to handle; to transact; to conduct |
Questions about 理智
What does 理智 mean?
理智 (lǐzhì) means "reason; intellect" and is used as a noun and adjective.
How do you write 理智?
理智 is made of 2 characters: 理 (11 strokes), 智 (12 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 理智 an HSK word?
Yes. 理智 is on the HSK 6 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 理智 and 理性?
Both mean rational, but 理性 (lǐxìng) is more abstract and philosophical, like rationality as a concept. 理智 is more everyday and often describes keeping a cool head in a specific emotional situation.
What is the opposite of 理智?
A common contrast is 冲动 (chōngdòng), meaning impulsive. People also contrast 理智 with 感情 (gǎnqíng), feelings or emotion, as in reason versus emotion.