How to Say "Clever" in Japanese

利口な

rikō na

The Japanese word for clever is 利口な (rikō na).

利口な is used to describe someone or something as being mentally quick, smart or sharp. It is a term often used to describe humans and animals.

Meaning: mentally quick or sharp (adj)

Which one should you use?

While 利口な describes being smart or sharp, the word 賢い is another common and straightforward way to say clever in Japanese.

利口な is a na-adjective. You use the na when it is modifying a noun, but the stem 利口 can also stand alone as a noun meaning cleverness or clever.

rikō na

Using 利口 to describe an adult in a professional setting can sometimes sound condescending, as if you are treating them like a child or a pet.
The character 利 in 利口 originally refers to 'profit' or 'advantage', suggesting that a 'clever' person is one who can find the most beneficial way to do things.
When praising a pet, Japanese speakers often say お利口さん (orikō-san). Adding the suffix さん treats the animal as a person to show affection and reward good behavior.

お利口な犬だこと！
What a clever dog!
This sentence is useful for seeing how to praise a dog using the affectionate form お利口な.
Tatoeba #10813362 by small_snow, translation #2944146 by Hybrid
確かに彼は利口な少年だ。
He is a clever boy, to be sure.
This sentence shows the use of 利口な to describe a boy.
Tatoeba #184564 by bunbuku, translation #21693 by orcrist
ジュディはとても利口な学生である。
Judy is a very clever student.
This sentence demonstrates the use of 利口な when describing a student.
Tatoeba #215707 by mookeee, translation #1304520 by CN
彼はとても賢いですね
He is very clever, isn't he?
彼女の発言は利口なものでした
Her remarks were clever.
彼は頭がいいね
He is clever, isn't he?
頭がいいですね
You are clever, aren't you?
1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Kenta and Himari are talking about a classmate's solution to a problem.

陽葵 Himari

彼女は本当に利口な人ですね。
Kanojo wa hontou ni rikouna hito desu ne.
She is a truly clever person, isn't she?
健太 Kenta

ええ、いつも答えをすぐに見つけます。
Ee, itsumo kotae o sugu ni mitsukemasu.
Yes, she always finds the answer quickly.
陽葵 Himari

あの利口なやり方には驚きました。
Ano rikouna yarikata ni wa odorokimashita.
I was surprised by that clever way of doing it.
健太 Kenta

僕も彼女に習いたいです。
Boku mo kanojo ni naraitai desu.
I want to learn from her too.

Sources

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