俐
clever
StatusJinmeiyōStrokes9
Readings
On'yomi
- リ
Kun'yomi
- かしこ.い
Meaning
俐 centers on sharp mental ability: being clever, quick-witted, and mentally agile.
Study
Etymology
俐 combines 亻 (person) with 利 (sharp, benefit), suggesting a person with sharp mental faculties. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the phono-semantic structure is plausible.
Meaning mnemonic
A person 亻 with a sharp blade 刂 cutting grain 禾: imagine a quick-witted person who can mentally slice through problems as easily as a sharp tool harvests crops.
Reading mnemonic
For リ, picture a clever person named Lee who always has a sharp answer: Lee -> リ, and his quick mind is like the sharp blade in 利.