哲 zhé — philosophy; wise
这本书里有很多深刻的哲理。Zhè běn shū lǐ yǒu hěn duō shēn kè de zhé lǐ.This book contains many profound philosophical ideas.
Common words: 哲学 (zhé xué)、哲人 (zhé rén)、哲理 (zhé lǐ)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "wise"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "wise", including 哲 (zhé), 聪 (cōng). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "wise" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 哲 (zhé), 聪 (cōng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhé, cōng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 哲 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 哲 zhéphilosophy; wiseUseful words: 哲学, 哲人
- 聪 cōngquick at hearing; wise; clever; sharp-witted; intelligent; acuteUseful words: 聪明, 失聪
Common words for these 2 "wise" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 哲 (zhé) — so "wise" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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 2 ways to say "wise".
聪 cōng — quick at hearing; wise; clever; sharp-witted; intelligent; acute
这个孩子又聪明又懂事。Zhè ge hái zi yòu cōng míng yòu dǒng shì.This child is both clever and sensible.
Common words: 聪明 (cōng ming)、失聪 (shī cōng)、聪敏 (cōng mǐn)
All 2 characters
Open 哲、聪 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.