无理

• Pinyin: wú lǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 无 = negation (without); 理 = 王 + 里 (jade being worked along its grain — reason, logic, natural order)

Meaning

Unreasonable; without justification; making demands or taking actions that lack logical, legal, or moral basis. Describes conduct that defies reason or accepted norms.

Commonly collocates with: 无理取闹 (make trouble unreasonably), 无理要求 (unreasonable demand), 无理指责 (unjustified accusation), 无理纠缠 (unreasonable pestering). Appears in legal, diplomatic, and everyday contexts. Often used to characterise the opposing party's position in a dispute as unjustifiable. Stronger than 不合理, implying active unreasonableness rather than mere impracticality.

Examples

1. 这一无理要求立即遭到与会代表的一致反对，最终未能列入正式议程。 This unreasonable demand was unanimously opposed by the delegates and ultimately was not included on the formal agenda.
2. 他在谈判中提出的种种无理条件令对方代表十分恼怒，双方关系急剧恶化。 The unreasonable terms he raised in negotiations infuriated the other side’s representatives, and relations between the two sides deteriorated sharply.
3. 法院认定，原告提出的索赔金额严重超出实际损失范围，属于无理诉求，予以驳回。 The court held that the plaintiff’s claimed damages far exceeded the actual losses and constituted an unreasonable claim, so it was dismissed.

Usage Guide

Context: law, diplomacy, negotiation, personal relations

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 在国际谈判中，若一方持续提出无理要求并拒绝任何形式的妥协，不仅会使谈判陷入僵局，更会严重损害自身在国际社会中的信誉与形象。(In international negotiations, if one party continually makes unreasonable demands and refuses any form of compromise, it will not only deadlock the talks but also seriously damage its own reputation and standing in the international community.)
• 这名顾客多次以无理理由向售后部门发起投诉并威胁散布不实信息，最终被公司依据服务条款将其列入禁止服务名单。(This customer repeatedly lodged complaints with the after-sales department on unreasonable grounds and threatened to spread false information, and was ultimately placed on the company's prohibited service list in accordance with the terms of service.)

Don't Say

• 无理 for something that is simply difficult to satisfy or impractical — use 不合理 or 不切实际; 无理 specifically implies a lack of any legitimate rational or moral basis, not merely inconvenience or excess

Origin & History

无 (without) + 理 (reason/logic/principle) — without reason or justification

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal