理 lǐ — reason; logic; science; inner principle or structure
他说的话很有道理。Tā shuō de huà hěn yǒu dào lǐ.What he said makes a lot of sense.
Common words: 经理 (jīng lǐ)、道理 (dào li)、理想 (lǐ xiǎng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "reason"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "reason", including 理 (lǐ), 因 (yīn), 由 (yóu), 故 (gù), 缘 (yuán). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "reason" covers 5 different Chinese characters — 理 (lǐ), 因 (yīn), 由 (yóu), 故 (gù), 缘 (yuán) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 5 characters do not share a sound — their readings span lǐ, yīn, yóu, gù, yuán — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 理 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 理 lǐreason; logic; science; inner principle or structureUseful words: 经理, 道理
- 因 yīncause; reason; becauseUseful words: 因为, 原因
- 由 yóufollow; from; it is for...to; reason; cause; because ofUseful words: 自由, 由于
- 故 gùhappening; instance; reason; cause; deceased; oldUseful words: 故事, 故意
- 缘 yuánalong; predestined affinity; reason; edgeUseful words: 缘故, 边缘
Common words for these 5 "reason" characters
Anchor each of these 5 characters in a word you can picture — start with 理 (lǐ) — so "reason" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
经理jīng lǐmanager; director道理dào lireason; argument; sense; principle理想lǐ xiǎngan ideal; a dream; ideal; perfect因为yīn wèibecause; owing to; on account of原因yuán yīncause; origin; root cause; reason因此yīn cǐthus; consequently; as a result自由zì yóufreedom; liberty; free; unrestricted由于yóu yúdue to; as a result of; thanks to; owing to理由lǐ yóureason; grounds; justification故事gù shìold practice
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 5 ways to say "reason".
因 yīn — cause; reason; because
因为下雨，比赛取消了。Yīn wèi xià yǔ, bǐ sài qǔ xiāo le.Because of the rain, the match was canceled.
Common words: 因为 (yīn wèi)、原因 (yuán yīn)、因此 (yīn cǐ)
由 yóu — follow; from; it is for...to; reason; cause; because of
这件事由你来决定。Zhè jiàn shì yóu nǐ lái jué dìng.This matter is for you to decide.
Common words: 自由 (zì yóu)、由于 (yóu yú)、理由 (lǐ yóu)
故 gù — happening; instance; reason; cause; deceased; old
奶奶给我讲了一个古老的故事。Nǎi nai gěi wǒ jiǎng le yí ge gǔ lǎo de gù shi.Grandma told me an old story.
Common words: 故事 (gù shì)、故意 (gù yì)、事故 (shì gù)
缘 yuán — along; predestined affinity; reason; edge
我们能成为朋友真是一种缘分。Wǒ men néng chéng wéi péng you zhēn shì yì zhǒng yuán fèn.It is truly a kind of fate that we became friends.
Common words: 缘故 (yuán gù)、边缘 (biān yuán)、缘分 (yuán fèn)
All 5 characters
Open 理、因、由 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.