料理

• Pinyin: liào lǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 料 = 米 + 斗 (grain measured/prepared — managing resources); 理 = 王 + 里 (jade worked to perfection — to put in order, manage well)

Meaning

To manage; to handle; to take care of (affairs). Also used as a noun meaning cuisine or a dish, especially Japanese or other East Asian food.

As a verb, 料理 means to attend to or handle matters, often involving domestic or practical affairs such as a funeral, daily household management, or personal business. As a noun, it is commonly used in Mandarin to refer to Japanese cuisine (日本料理). The verbal sense is more formal and literary; the culinary sense is now more widely used in everyday speech.

Examples

1. 父亲病重期间，她一人独力料理家中大小事务，承受了巨大的精神压力。 While her father was critically ill, she handled every household matter on her own, under tremendous emotional strain.
2. 公司委托专业机构料理员工的海外驻派手续及住宿安排。 The company hired a professional agency to handle employees’ overseas assignment paperwork and housing arrangements.
3. 这家日本料理餐厅以精致的刺身拼盘和正宗的茶道体验著称于北京餐饮界。 This Japanese restaurant is known in Beijing’s dining scene for its refined sashimi platters and an authentic tea-ceremony experience.

Usage Guide

Context: domestic affairs, event management, cuisine, hospitality

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 公司指派专人料理所有来访外宾的接待工作，确保每个环节都周到妥善。(The company assigned a dedicated person to handle all reception arrangements for visiting foreign guests, ensuring every detail was properly attended to.)
• 这道融合传统与现代元素的日本料理获得了米其林评审团的高度肯定。(This Japanese dish blending traditional and modern elements received high praise from the Michelin judging panel.)

Don't Say

• 将'料理'与'处理'完全互换 — '料理'侧重亲身安排照料，'处理'更强调解决问题，两者语境略有差异

Origin & History

料 (to estimate/to prepare — measuring and planning) + 理 (to manage/to put in order — arranging things properly)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal