智

zhì
#883 most
frequent character
(literary) wise, wisdom

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

智 combines 知 zhī, knowledge, with 曰, saying something. Together they first meant reading a scroll aloud so others could learn. 知 also provides the sound. The sense settled into knowledge and wisdom.

Drawn as: scroll read aloud

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Homophones

治zhì
rule, govern, manage, cure
至zhì
to, till, until, extremely
志zhì
sign, mark, to record
识zhì
to record, to write a footnote
质zhì
character, nature, quality, plain
志zhì
aspiration, ambition, the will

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