How to say “reason” in Chinese
reason, sense
“Reason” in Chinese is 道理, dào lǐ: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
道理 is read dào lǐ: 2 syllables. The tone is part of the word: with another melody you get another word, or just a jumble of sounds.
How to write it
On the left, 辶 “walk”. This is the famous “Tao”.
On the left, 王 “jade”; on the right, 里 lǐ hints at the sound.
Strokes go in order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical. Tap a character to open its page, with the strokes shown large and the words it appears in. To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for “道理”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 道理. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 你说得很有道理nǐshuōdehěnyǒudàolǐYou have a point.
More words from the lesson “Wisdom and meaning”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “reason” in Chinese?
“Reason” in Chinese is 道理, pinyin dàolǐ.
What does 道理 mean?
道理 (dàolǐ) means “reason, sense”.
How do you write 道理?
道理 is 2 characters: 道 (dào) — way, road; 理 (lǐ) — order; manage. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 道理?
道理 is read dàolǐ. Tones: dào — fourth tone, lǐ — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“reason” in the lesson “Wisdom and meaning”
This word is from the topic “Traditions and thought” of HSK 5. In the lesson you hear it in a dialogue, build a sentence with it and say it out loud. Start for free, no sign-up needed.
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