zi3 lik6智力
Jyutpingzi3 lik6
Yaleji lihk
Definition
Intelligence; cognitive capacity and the ability to learn and think.
neutralpeopleother
How it's used
Refers specifically to cognitive capacity or mental sharpness in a formal or academic sense. While it is the standard term for intelligence, it sounds quite clinical or abstract in casual conversation. People often prefer more descriptive terms like 醒目 or 聰明 when talking about someone's everyday wit or cleverness.
Examples
His intelligence was already very high when he was a child.
Do you think this game tests one's intelligence?
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using it to describe someone who is simply quick-witted or street-smart, as it carries a weight of formal assessment or psychological measurement. Using it to praise a friend's clever remark can sound overly serious or detached.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
