How to say “principle” in Chinese
principle (of operation), basis
“Principle” in Chinese is 原理, yuán lǐ: the meaning, a recording of how it sounds, the characters stroke by stroke and examples.
How to pronounce it
原理 is read yuán 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
A spring beneath a cliff 厂 — the source. It hints at the sound of 愿 yuàn.
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 “原理”.
Examples
Sentences from the course lessons with 原理. Tap the sound icon to listen.
- 你知道冰箱的工作原理吗nǐzhīdàobīngxiāngdegōngzuòyuánlǐmaDo you know how a refrigerator works?
- 它的原理很简单tādeyuánlǐhěnjiǎndānThe way it works is very simple.
More words from the lesson “How it works”
Look up another word in the Chinese–English dictionary: in English, in pinyin or in characters.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say “principle” in Chinese?
“Principle” in Chinese is 原理, pinyin yuánlǐ.
What does 原理 mean?
原理 (yuánlǐ) means “principle (of operation), basis”.
How do you write 原理?
原理 is 2 characters: 原 (yuán) — original; plain; 理 (lǐ) — order; manage. The stroke order of each one is shown step by step on this page.
How do you pronounce 原理?
原理 is read yuánlǐ. Tones: yuán — second tone, lǐ — third tone. The page has a native speaker recording.
“principle” in the lesson “How it works”
This word is from the topic “Matter and measurement” of HSK 6. 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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