Definition
情理 (qíng lǐ) refers to 'reason' or 'sense' grounded in human feelings and social norms — what is considered reasonable and proper in a given situation. It differs from 道理 (dào lǐ), which focuses on the logical principle or argument behind something, and from 理由 (lǐ yóu), which is a specific reason or justification. 情理 is about what feels right and socially acceptable, not just what is logically sound.
noun
reasonsense (based on human feelings and social norms)
Easily confused
- 清理qīng lǐlook-aliketo clear up, to tidy up; to clean out (a space, files, etc.)
Examples
- 情理，。Tā de jiànyì hěn héhū qíng lǐ, suǒyǐ dàjiā dōu tóngyì le.His suggestion was very reasonable, so everyone agreed.
- 情理，。Zhè zhǒng zuòfǎ wánquán bù hé qíng lǐ, ràng rén nányǐ jiēshòu.This practice is completely unreasonable and hard to accept.
- 情理，。Zuòshì yào jiǎng qíng lǐ, bù néng zhǐ kǎolǜ zìjǐ.When doing things, you need to show good sense and not just think of yourself.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.