智力

• Pinyin: zhì lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 智 = 知 (to know) + 日 (sun), wisdom/knowledge; 力 = pictograph of a muscular arm, strength/power

Meaning

Intelligence; intellect; mental capacity. Refers to a person's cognitive ability to learn, reason, and solve problems.

Used in academic and everyday contexts. 智力发展 (intellectual development), 智力测试 (IQ test). 智力 is a more formal term than 聪明 (clever). It often refers to innate or measured cognitive capacity, whereas 能力 (ability) is broader and includes skills. 智力游戏 refers to brain games or puzzles.

Examples

1. 儿童早期的智力发展与家庭环境密切相关。 A child's early intellectual development is closely related to the family environment.
2. 这个游戏不仅需要体力，还需要很高的智力。 This game requires not only physical strength but also a high level of intelligence.
3. 智力测试的结果只能作为参考，不能完全代表一个人的能力。 The results of an IQ test can only serve as a reference and cannot fully represent a person's ability.

Usage Guide

Context: education, psychology, academic

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 早期教育对孩子的智力发展有重要影响。(Early education has an important impact on children's intellectual development.)
• 他的智力水平远超同龄人，很早就进入了重点大学。(His intellectual capacity far exceeded his peers, and he entered a top university at an early age.)

Don't Say

• 把'智力'和'聪明'完全等同 (Don't treat 智力 and 聪明 as identical — 智力 is a more formal, measurable concept of cognitive capacity, while 聪明 is a casual, positive adjective meaning 'clever')

Origin & History

From 智 (wisdom, 知 knowing + 日 sun, brightness of the mind) and 力 (strength, a pictograph of a muscular arm), together meaning 'the strength of the mind'.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal