Chinese word

理

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǐ

Meaning

  • verbpay attention to

Example

别理他。bié lǐ tā

Don't pay attention to him.

Illustration for 理 (pay attention to)

More examples

他犯了错，大家都不理他。tā fàn le cuò dà jiā dōu bù lǐ tā

He made a mistake, and everyone ignored him.

Core concept

Choose whether to engage with someone or something by giving it attention and a response.

Common phrases

  • 别理我bié lǐ wǒ

    don't pay attention to me

  • 不理我bù lǐ wǒ

    not pay attention to me

  • 谁都不理他shéi dōu bù lǐ tā

    no one pays attention to him

Similar words

管guǎn: Getting involved with a person or matter by taking care of it or trying to control it.
注意zhù yì: Directing attention to a person or thing in order to notice, watch, or listen to it.
关心guān xīn: Caring about someone's condition and showing concern for their well-being.
理会lǐ huì: Responding to or dealing with someone's words or actions, especially in formal written language.

Definition in Chinese

表示是否对某人或某事给予注意、回应或照看，常见否定形式（如“不理”“别理”）用于表示忽视或不愿理会。biǎo shì shì fǒu duì mǒu rén huò mǒu shì jí yǔ zhù yì huí yìng huò zhào kàn cháng jiàn fǒu dìng xíng shì rú bù lǐ bié lǐ yòng yú biǎo shì hū shì huò bú yuàn lǐ huì

Word origin

理 (lǐ, "pay attention to") combines 玉 (yù, "jade") + 里 (lǐ, "village"); its early sense of working jade broadened to putting things in order, then to handling matters and attending to people.

Usage tips

  • In everyday conversation, a short negative command with this verb can sound dismissive; adding a reason or using a softer request helps match the intended level of politeness.

Other meanings

  • ignoreverb
  • care aboutverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word