How to say “reason” in Chinese
reason, argument
“Reason” in Chinese is 理由, lǐ yóu: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
理由 is read lǐ yóu: 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, 王 “jade”; on the right, 里 lǐ hints at the sound.
Like 田 “field”, but the stroke sticks out at the top. It hints at the sound of 油 and 邮 yóu.
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 “理由”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 理由. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 他的理由很合理tādelǐyóuhěnhélǐHis argument is quite reasonable.
- 你的理由不合理nǐdelǐyóubùhélǐYour argument doesn't hold up.
More words from the lesson “For and against”
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 理由, pinyin lǐyóu.
What does 理由 mean?
理由 (lǐyóu) means “reason, argument”.
How do you write 理由?
理由 is 2 characters: 理 (lǐ) — order; manage; 由 (yóu) — from; reason. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 理由?
理由 is read lǐyóu. Tones: lǐ — third tone, yóu — second tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“reason” in the lesson “For and against”
This word is from the topic “Opinions and arguments” 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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