HSK Level 4

智力

zhì lì

intelligence; mentality; intellect

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Example Sentences

他智力很低,所以他不能上大学。

tā zhìlì hěn dī, suǒyǐ tā bùnéng shàng dàxué.

His intelligence is very low, so he can't go to college.

她智力很高,所以她能上名牌大学。

tā zhìlì hěn gāo, suǒyǐ tā néng shàng míngpái dàxué.

Her intelligence is very high, so she can go to a prestigious university.

智力是成功的关键因素之一。

zhìlì shì chénggōng de guānjiàn yīnsù zhī yī.

Intelligence is one of the key factors to success.

Synonyms

聪明 (cōngmíng)

clever

智慧 (zhìhuì)

wisdom

Antonyms

愚蠢 (yúchǔn)

stupid

笨拙 (bènzhuō)

clumsy

Etymology & Components

The Chinese word 智力 (zhìlì) for "intelligence" is composed of two characters: 智 (zhì) and 力 (lì). The character 智 originally meant "to know" or "to understand", and it is composed of the radical 宀 (miàn), which represents a roof, and the character 知 (zhī), which means "to know". The character 力 originally meant "strength" or "power", and it is composed of the radical 力 (lì), which represents strength, and the character 工 (gōng), which means "work". When combined, the two characters 智力 (zhìlì) form the compound word "intelligence", which refers to the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.