Writing
理 (lǐ) — how to say "reason" in Chinese
理
Reason; to manage
noun · verb
Character composition
理
reason; to manage
Radicals / Keys
玉
Jade
#96 · yù · 5 strokes
Collocations
理家
lǐ jiā
to manage a household
Examples
他管理公司很有道理。
He manages the company very reasonably.
他有道理。
He has a reason (he is right).
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Frequently asked questions
How to say reason in Mandarin?
"reason" in Chinese is 理 (lǐ).
理 meaning in English
理 (lǐ) means "Reason; to manage".
How is 理 pronounced?
It is pronounced lǐ (written as li). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "reason" in Chinese characters?
It is written 理 and has 11 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order and lets you trace it.
What HSK 3.0 level is 理?
理 is on the HSK 3.0 level 6 word list. It is not part of the six-level HSK 2.0 lists.
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Grammar with 理
连 + noun + 都 — even
连 (lián) + Noun + 都 (dōu) + Verb
为…而… — purpose with 为…而…
为 (wèi) + Purpose + 而 (ér) + Action
本来 — originally
Subj. + 本来 (běnlái) + Verb / Adj.
按理 — logically speaking
按理 (ànlǐ) / 按说 (ànshuō) + Clause (conclusion that clashes with the fact)
本着 — in line with, on the basis of
Subject + 本着 (běnzhe) + Noun (principle/guideline) + Verb
经 — via, through, after
经 (jīng) + Intermediary/Process，+ main clause