How to Write 俐 (lì) — Meaning “clever; sharp; quick-witted”

Picture a person (亻) holding a sharp knife (利) — the knife represents "sharpness of mind". This image helps you remember that 俐 means "clever" or "quick-witted".

Write the left radical 亻 first, making it narrow. Then write the right side 利: start with 禾 (grain), then add 刂 (knife) below. Be careful not to make the right side too tall; the whole character should balance horizontally.

The right-side component is the key difference: 俐 uses 利 (sharp), while 伯 uses 白 (white) and 估 uses 古 (ancient). Meaning-wise, 俐 means "clever", 伯 means "uncle" or "elder", and 估 means "estimate" or "appraise". Their pronunciations are also different: lì, bó, and gū.

俐 appears in common words like 伶俐 (líng lì, clever and witty) and 麻利 (má lì, quick and efficient). It is often used to describe someone's smartness or speed in doing things, especially in spoken Chinese. The phrase 干净利落 (gān jìng lì luò) means neat and efficient, often used for actions or style.

Common words containing 俐 include: 伶俐 (líng lì) — clever; smart; witty; 麻利 (má lì) — quick / efficient; 干净利落 (gān jìng lì luò) — neat and tidy / efficient.