Level 5

영리하다

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Meaning and Usage

The adjective '영리하다' primarily means 'clever' or 'ingenious' when describing a person or animal showing intelligence and quick thinking. It often implies practical intelligence rather than just academic knowledge.

Different Contexts

  1. Describing a person's smartness or quick wit in everyday situations.
  2. Referring to animals or children who show clever behavior.
  3. In a business context, '영리' (noun form) relates to profit-making or commercial activities, so '영리하다' can describe something related to earning profit.

Common Collocations

  • 영리하다 + 사람/아이/동물: to describe someone or an animal as clever.
  • 영리 활동: profit-making activities, used in business or legal contexts.

Register and Nuance

'영리하다' is a neutral to slightly formal adjective. It is commonly used in written and spoken Korean. When used for people, it praises their intelligence or shrewdness. When used in business, it refers to profit-oriented actions.

Learner Tips

Be careful not to confuse '영리하다' with '영리하다' in the business sense. Context usually clarifies whether it means 'clever' or 'profit-oriented.' Also, avoid using it to describe academic intelligence alone; it implies practical cleverness.

Example Sentences

그 아이는 아주 영리해서 문제를 금방 해결했어요.

Geu aineun aju yeongrihaeseo munjele geumbang haegyeolhaesseoyo.

That child is very clever and solved the problem quickly.

영리한 사람은 상황을 잘 판단하고 대처할 줄 알아요.

Yeongrihan sarameun sanghwang-eul jal pandanhago daecheohal jul arayo.

A clever person can judge situations well and respond accordingly.

그 회사는 영리 활동을 통해 많은 이익을 얻었어요.

Geu hoesaneun yeongri hwaldongeul tonghae maneun iigeul eodeosseoyo.

That company earned a lot of profit through commercial activities.