Chinese Character: 励
1. Character Basics
Radical: 力 (power radical)
Stroke Count: 7
Stroke Order:
2. Pronunciation
Pinyin: lì (Fourth tone)
3. Meaning
Encourage; stimulate; urge; inspire; reward; praise; incentive; drive; boost; motivate; arouse; promote; hearten; cheer on
4. Common Words
- 鼓励 (gǔlì) - to encourage; to inspire; to cheer on
- 激励 (jīlì) - to stimulate; to inspire; to motivate
- 励志 (lìzhì) - to encourage oneself; inspirational
- 奖励 (jiǎnglì) - to reward; reward; bonus
- 勉励 (miǎnlì) - to encourage; to exhort; to urge
- 励磁 (lìcí) - excitation (physics/engineering)
- 自励 (zìlì) - self-encouragement; self-motivation
- 励精图治 (lìjīngtúzhì) - to strive for perfection in governance; to make every effort to improve governance
5. Grammar & Usage
The character "励" primarily means "to encourage," "to stimulate," or "to inspire." It is commonly used as a verb or part of compound verbs in Chinese.
Grammar Patterns:
- 作为动词: 鼓励 (to encourage), 激励 (to inspire), 奖励 (to reward)
- 作为名词性语素: 励志 (inspirational), 奖励 (reward), 自励 (self-encouragement)
- 四字成语: 励精图治 (strive for good governance), 再接再励 (continue to make efforts)
- 常用搭配: 鼓励学生 (encourage students), 励志故事 (inspirational story), 物质奖励 (material reward)
- Note: "励" is often paired with other characters to form meaningful verbs or adjectives rather than being used independently.
6. Cultural Background
The character "励" carries significant cultural weight in Chinese society, reflecting values related to motivation, self-improvement, and social encouragement.
In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of encouragement and self-motivation is deeply rooted in educational and philosophical traditions. Confucian teachings emphasize the importance of striving for self-improvement and encouraging others to do the same.
The idiom "励精图治" (lìjīngtúzhì) has special historical significance, often used to describe rulers or leaders who make every effort to improve governance and bring prosperity to their people.
In modern Chinese society, the character "励" is widely used in educational contexts, motivational speeches, and self-help literature. It reflects the cultural value placed on perseverance, effort, and continuous improvement.
The character is also used in corporate culture to promote team spirit and individual motivation, with terms like "激励机制" (incentive mechanism) being common in management contexts.
7. Example Sentence
中文: 老师经常鼓励我们努力学习，追求自己的梦想。
Pinyin: Lǎoshī jīngcháng gǔlì wǒmen nǔlì xuéxí, zhuīqiú zìjǐ de mèngxiǎng.
English: Teachers often encourage us to study hard and pursue our dreams.
8. Memory Tips
The character "励" (lì) consists of two parts: the radical "力" (power/strength) on the right and the component "厉" (strict/severe) on the left.
To remember the character:
- Think of combining "严厉" (strict) with "力量" (strength) - strict encouragement requires strength
- Notice that the character has 7 strokes
- Associate the character with common words like "鼓励" (encourage) and "激励" (inspire) to reinforce its meaning
- Practice writing the character following the stroke order to help with memorization
- Remember that the radical "力" (power) on the right is a key indicator of its meaning related to motivation and strength