知能
ちのう · chinou · JLPT N3 · noun
intelligence
🧠 知能 = know + ability: the ability to know things
知 (chi) means to know, and 能 (nou) means ability or capability, as in 能力 (nouryoku). So brains are the ability to know. The same 知能 shows up in 人工知能 (jinkou chinou), which means artificial intelligence.
能 — 厶 (head) + 月 (body/flesh) + 匕匕 (legs)
Originally a pictograph of a bear, showing its head, body, and powerful legs. Because bears were seen as strong and capable, the character was borrowed to mean 'ability' or 'can'. A new character 熊 (with the fire radical 灬) was later created for 'bear'.