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理所當然

简理所当然 · 繁理所當然

Mandarin · pinyin lǐ suǒ dāng rán

as it should be by rights (idiom); proper and to be expected as a matter of course
inevitable and right

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Characters in this entry

理: lǐ · reason, logic; manage
所: suǒ · place, location; numerary adjunct
當: dāng · bear, accept, undertake; just
然: rán · yes, certainly; pledge, promise
当: dāng · bear, accept, undertake; just

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–3–1–2 · li3 suo3 dang1 ran2

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

理所當然 · find source passages ↗ · 理所当然 · find source passages ↗

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 1 sense · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

lei5 so2 dong1 jin4

Cantonese word readings for 理所當然. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

phrase

(idiomatic) to be only right and proper; to be taken as a matter of course; naturally

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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