逻辑 (luóji) — logic

逻辑 (luóji)

逻辑 is a loanword from "logic" and covers both the formal discipline of logic (the study of valid inference) and the informal sense of the internal coherence or reasoning behind a statement, plan, or situation. It is indispensable in academic, philosophical, and analytical Chinese.

Meanings

1. [n] logic (the formal study of valid reasoning)
2. [n] logic, internal coherence (the reasoning or rationale behind something)

Example Sentences

形式逻辑是哲学和数学的共同基础，也是批判性思维的核心工具。 Xíngshì luóji shì zhéxué hé shùxué de gòngtóng jīchǔ, yě shì pīpàn xìng sīwéi de héxīn gōngjù. Formal logic is the shared foundation of philosophy and mathematics, and also the core tool of critical thinking.

这段论证的逻辑明显存在漏洞，前提与结论之间缺乏必然联系。 Zhè duàn lùnzhèng de luóji míngxiǎn cúnzài lòudòng, qiántí yǔ jiélùn zhī jiān quēfá bìrán liánxi. The logic of this argument clearly has flaws; there is no necessary connection between the premise and the conclusion.

他的解释乍听合理，但仔细推敲便会发现其中逻辑的自相矛盾。 Tā de jiěshì zhà tīng hélǐ, dàn zǐxì tuīqiāo biàn huì fāxiàn qízhōng luóji de zì xiāng máodùn. His explanation sounds reasonable at first, but careful scrutiny reveals the self-contradictory logic within it.

市场竞争有其自身的逻辑，政策干预需尊重这一内在规律。 Shìchǎng jìngzhēng yǒu qí zìshēn de luóji, zhèngcè gānyù xū zūnzhòng zhè yī nèizài guīlǜ. Market competition has its own logic; policy intervention must respect this inherent law.

掌握逻辑学的基本方法，有助于识别日常思维中的谬误和偏见。 Zhǎngwò luójí xué de jīběn fāngfǎ, yǒuzhù yú shíbié rìcháng sīwéi zhōng de miùwù hé piānjiàn. Mastering the basic methods of logic helps identify fallacies and biases in everyday thinking.

这场谈判背后有一套冷酷的利益逻辑，与道义上的考量几乎无关。 Zhè chǎng tánpàn bèihòu yǒu yī tào lěngkù de lìyì luóji, yǔ dàoyì shàng de kǎoliàng jīhū wúguān. Behind this negotiation is a cold logic of interests that has almost nothing to do with ethical considerations.

Collocations

Usage Notes

逻辑 is used both as a count noun (一套逻辑, a system of logic) and in the abstract (符合逻辑, logically consistent). The phrase 不合逻辑 (illogical) is common in everyday speech. Note that 逻辑 can also refer to the "logic" of a real-world situation: 资本的逻辑 (the logic of capital), 权力的逻辑 (the logic of power) — meaning the underlying drive or rationale.

In Chinese high school and university curricula, 逻辑 is increasingly taught as a standalone subject (逻辑学), and HSK 6 learners should be able to discuss logical fallacies (逻辑谬误) and argumentative structure.

Memory Hook

逻辑 is a phonetic loan from "logic" — the characters are just there for sound. But think of 逻 (to sift through) + 辑 (to compile) — logic is the process of sifting and organizing reasoning.