原理

yuánlǐ
noun HSK 5 #8,741

Meanings

  1. 1 principle
  2. 2 theory
  3. 3 fundamental truth

Examples

Nǐ liǎojiě zhège jīqì de gōngzuò yuánlǐ ma?
Do you understand the working principle of this machine?
Wùlǐ yuánlǐ zài shēnghuó zhōng wúchùbúzài.
Physics principles are everywhere in life.
Jīběn yuánlǐ bùnán lǐjiě.
The basic principles aren't hard to understand.

Tips

usage
原理 (fundamental principle, scientific/theoretical) vs 原则 (yuánzé, principle, moral/practical guideline). Physics has 原理; ethics has 原则.

Stroke Order

yuán