利り口こう

り

こ

う

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

clever; intelligent; bright; smart; wise; sensible; shrewd

Describes a person or animal that is mentally sharp, quick-witted, or shows good judgment. Can be used for both natural intelligence and sensible behavior.

彼かれはとても利り口こうな学がく生せいだ。
He is a very bright student.
あの犬いぬは利り口こうで、すぐに芸げいを覚おぼえる。
That dog is clever and learns tricks quickly.

na-adjective, noun

well-behaved; obedient; good

Especially for children and pets, often with the honorific prefix お (お利口). Implies being quiet, following rules, and not causing trouble.

Usage patterns

利り口こうに立たち回まわるto act shrewdly/cleverly for one's own advantage
彼かれは利り口こうに立たち回まわって上じょう司しに気きに入いられた。
He worked things cleverly and got in his boss's good graces.
お利り口こうにするto be well-behaved, to behave nicely (of a child or pet)
うちの犬いぬはいつもお利り口こうにしている。
My dog always behaves nicely.
利り口こうなやり方かたa clever/shrewd way of doing something
それは利り口こうなやり方かたとは言いえない。
That can't really be called a clever approach.

Kanji

利profit, advantage, benefit
口mouth
巧adroit, skilled, ingenuity
悧clever

Related words

賢かしこいN3sense 1
賢い is a more formal i-adjective emphasizing deep wisdom or intelligence, while 利口 leans toward practical cleverness or sensible, well-behaved conduct.
頭あたまがいいN5sense 1
頭がいい is a common everyday phrase focusing on academic or cognitive smartness, whereas 利口 can also describe sensible behavior, not just intellect.
賢けん明めいN1
利口 often implies cleverness or shrewdness, sometimes with a hint of being crafty, whereas 賢明 emphasizes wise, well-judged decisions.
発はつ明めいN3
利口 is a common everyday word for cleverness or shrewdness, while 発明 as an adjective in this sense is old-fashioned and rarely used now.
ワイズ
利口 is a common na-adjective/noun for being clever or bright in behavior, whereas ワイズ is a rarer katakana word used mainly for effect.

Opposites

ばかN3sense 1
馬鹿 means foolish or stupid, the direct opposite of 利口's sense of being clever or sensible.

Don't confuse with

利り己こ sense 1
利口 (clever) and 利己 (selfish, self-interested) look almost identical in kanji but have unrelated meanings, so learners often mix them up.
利り根こんN1
利口 (clever, smart) and 利根 (sharp, innate intelligence) share the kanji 利 and overlapping meaning, but 利口 is the far more common everyday word.

Word family

お利り口こう
well-behaved; obedient; good
利り口こう者もの
clever person; smart person
小こ利り口こう
clever; smart; shrewd
利り口こうぶる
act smart; pretend to be clever
お利り口こうさん
good child; well-behaved child

Written forms

利り口こうUsage70%
Standard kanji form; high priority.
りこうUsage23%
利り巧こうUsage5%
Variant kanji form; less common.
悧り巧こうUsage2%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.
悧り口こうUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

Etymology

The kanji 利 (profit, advantage) and 口 (mouth) combine to suggest 'clever speech' or 'sharpness'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has long been used to describe intelligence and good behavior.