智

zhì
noun #6,104

Meanings

  1. 1 wise
  2. 2 wisdom
  3. 3 intelligence

Examples

HSK 5
Réngōng zhìnéng zhèngzài gǎibiàn shìjiè.
Artificial intelligence is changing the world.
HSK 5
Zhè gè háizi de zhìlì fāzhǎn de hěn kuài.
This child's intelligence develops very quickly.
HSK 6
Zhìhuì bǐ cáifù gèng bǎoguì.
Wisdom is more valuable than wealth.

Tips

memory
知 (to know) + 日 (sun/day) - knowledge illuminated by the sun.

Components

radical
日 rì
sun; day
Bottom indexing sun radical. Adds 'illumination, daylight' to 知: knowledge brought into the light becomes wisdom. The pairing 知 + 日 = 'know + sun' is one of the cleanest etymologies in the script and a perfect memory hook for learners.
phonetic
知 zhī
to know
Top 知 (to know) supplies the sound (zhī → zhì, only tone differs) and most of the meaning - wisdom is knowing taken to a higher level. 知 itself is 矢 (arrow) + 口 (mouth), 'words sharp as arrows'. So 智 stacks 'sharp speech' over 'sun', layering knowledge with illumination.

Stroke Order

智 zhì