Japanese Symbol for
知恵chie
wisdom · intelligence · wit
Readings
Meaning
Wisdom, intelligence, wit, ingenuity. 知恵 combines 知 (knowledge, knowing) with 恵 (blessing, grace) — wisdom as a gift or blessing of the mind.
Example words
知識
chishiki
knowledge, information
恵み
megumi
blessing, grace, gift
知恵袋
chie-bukuro
a wise person; also Japan's Yahoo Answers
生き知恵
ikichie
practical wisdom, street smarts
知恵 emphasizes applied, practical wisdom rather than abstract knowledge. There's also 智慧 (chie) — the Buddhist spelling using different kanji — which carries a more spiritual, transcendent sense of wisdom, often used in Buddhist texts.
Hiragana and katakana are the keys to reading Japanese. Our free trainers get them locked in fast.