答理 (dā li) is a colloquial verb meaning 'to acknowledge' or 'to pay attention to' someone—especially in response to their presence, greeting, or request. Though it looks like two separate characters, it functions as a fixed, inseparable compound: 答 ('to answer') and 理 ('to attend to, to care about') combine to convey the idea of giving someone even minimal social recognition—not necessarily agreeing or helping, but simply registering their existence or effort.

This word is commonly used in informal spoken Chinese, often with emotional nuance: refusing to 答理 someone signals deliberate coldness, indifference, or mild anger (e.g., after an argument), while choosing to 答理 implies basic courtesy or willingness to engage. It rarely appears in formal writing and is seldom used with objects requiring detailed explanation—it's most natural when referring to people or their direct overtures (a wave, a question, a complaint). The tone on 理 is neutral (light third tone), not full third tone.