机灵

jī ling

HSK 3.0 Level 7 Adjective Uncommon

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This word has multiple dictionary entries. Choose the reading or usage you want to review.

机灵

jī ling Adjective clever; quick-witted

机灵

jī líng clever; quick-witted

Definitions

1. clever
2. quick-witted

Word relationships

Antonyms

1 item

• 笨拙 bèn zhuō 笨拙 bèn zhuō clumsy 笨拙 means clumsy or dull, the opposite of quick-witted.: clumsy

Related words

2 items

• 灵活 líng huó 灵活 líng huó flexible 灵活 means flexible or agile, often used together with 机灵.: flexible
• 机警 jī jǐng 机警 jī jǐng perceptive 机警 means alert and sharp, similar in meaning to 机灵.: perceptive

Synonyms

1 item

• 聪明 cōng ming 聪明 cōng ming intelligent Both mean intelligent, but 机灵 emphasizes quick-witted adaptability.: intelligent

Usage notes

Collocations

Often paired with 鬼 (机灵鬼) to describe a clever, sometimes mischievous person.

Common mistakes

Do not use 机灵 to describe academic intelligence; use 聪明 for book smarts.

Example Sentences

1 shown

这个小孩真 机灵 ，很快就学会了。

This child is really quick-witted and learned it very quickly.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 机灵

• 机灵鬼 机灵鬼 jī líng guǐ: (jocular) clever and quick-witted person

Child Words of 机灵

• 灵 灵 líng: quick
• 机 机 jī: (bound form) machine; mechanism