利索

• Pinyin: lì suo
• Hanzi breakdown: 利 = 禾 + 刂 (sharp/efficient); 索 = 糸 + 工 (rope — implies directness)

Meaning

Nimble and efficient; neat and clean without hesitation. Describes someone who acts quickly, decisively, and without mess or delay.

Used to praise a person's manner of working or moving — implies both speed and precision. Can describe physical actions like cutting, folding, or packing, as well as decision-making. Colloquially positive. 不利索 means clumsy or sloppy.

Examples

1. 他做事利索，一个小时就把整个仓库收拾得井然有序。 He works efficiently; in an hour, he had the entire warehouse cleaned up and neatly organized.
2. 老师傅的手法十分利索，不到五分钟便修好了漏水的管道。 The master’s hands were quick and precise—he fixed the leaking pipe in under five minutes.
3. 面对复杂的局面，她处理得格外利索，毫无拖泥带水之感。 Faced with a complicated situation, she handled it with impressive efficiency, without any dragging things out.

Usage Guide

Context: daily speech, work efficiency, physical actions

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 他切菜的动作利索极了，刀起刀落间蔬菜已整整齐齐地摆好了。(His vegetable-cutting was extremely nimble — the knife rose and fell and the vegetables were already neatly arranged.)
• 新来的助理工作十分利索，交代的任务从不拖延。(The newly hired assistant works very efficiently and never delays assigned tasks.)

Don't Say

• 用'利索'形容语言表达或思维的清晰度 — 通常只用于形容行动和做事方式，说话清晰应用'清楚'或'明了'

Origin & History

利 (sharp/efficient) + 索 (rope/straightforward — implies directness)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal