What does 理 mean in Chinese?

理 (lǐ) means "texture; grain (of wood); inner essence; intrinsic order; reason; logic; truth; science; natural science (esp. physics); to manage; to pay attention to; to run (affairs); to handle; to put in order; to tidy up" in Chinese. The new HSK exam tests it at HSK 6.

How do you pronounce 理?

理 is pronounced "lǐ" in Mandarin Chinese. The tone number is 3.

What HSK level is 理?

理 is an HSK 6 word on the new HSK exam syllabus.

What words contain the character 理?

Common words with 理 include 不可理喻 (to be impervious to reason (idiom)), 不理 (to refuse to acknowledge), 不去理 (not to pay attention to), 不合理 (unreasonable), 不搭理 (variant of 不答理[bu4 da1 li3]).

How do you write 理?

You can practice writing 理 using our stroke order tool.

理 (lǐ), texture

理

lǐ

texture; grain (of wood); inner essence; intrinsic order

HSK 6 New to HSKverb

Character Breakdown

Radical: 玉 (no. 96)

View stroke order →

Definitions

(verb) texture
grain (of wood)
inner essence
intrinsic order
reason
logic
truth
science
natural science (esp. physics)
to manage
to pay attention to
to run (affairs)
to handle
to put in order
to tidy up

Example Sentences

你说得很有道理。

Nǐ shuō de hěn yǒu dàolǐ

What you said makes a lot of sense

Words Containing 理

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
不可理喻	bù kě lǐ yù	to be impervious to reason (idiom)
不理	bù lǐ	to refuse to acknowledge
不去理	bù qù lǐ	not to pay attention to
不合理	bù hé lǐ	unreasonable
不搭理	bù dā lǐ	variant of 不答理[bu4 da1 li3]

Related Words

了当(liǎo dàng)· frank

→

井然有序(jǐng rán yǒu xù)· everything clear and in good order (idiom); neat and tidy

→

天时(tiān shí)· the time

→

天理(tiān lǐ)· Heaven's law

→

Grammar Notes

Emphasis with 是HSK 3

Subject + 是 + Verb/Adjective + (的)

Appears in these articles

HSK levels

New HSK exam: HSK 6
HSK 2.0: Not listed
HSK Lord study list: HSK 6 list

理: New to the HSK lists at HSK 6. See where your old level lands

New exam levels follow the CLEC syllabus released 15 November 2025. The first official sitting is announced for 13 December 2026. HSK 7-9 is one advanced band.

On the new HSK 6 exam

Studying for HSK 6? Keep 理 with the rest of your level.

HSK Lord schedules your reviews so each character comes back right before you would forget it. Free to start, and it picks up where you are.

Start studying free The words new HSK 6 adds

Frequently Asked Questions

Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.