ming4 lei5明理
Jyutpingming4 lei5
Yalemìhng léih
Definition
Sensible and reasonable; understanding of principles and facts.
neutralpeopledescriptions
How it's used
Describes someone who understands the logic behind situations and acts accordingly, often used to praise someone for being fair or mature. It carries a sense of emotional intelligence and social awareness rather than just raw intellect. It is frequently used in family contexts to describe parents or elders who are open-minded and willing to listen to reason.
Examples
He is very reasonable and won't make unreasonable trouble.
You should be more reasonable and not be so stubborn.
Related words
Common phrases
a reasonable person
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 明白, which simply means to understand a fact or instruction. 明理 specifically refers to the character trait of being a reasonable person, whereas 明白 is a verb for cognitive comprehension.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
