努 meaning and stroke order
To exert, to strive, to make an effort; to pout
How to write 努, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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Meaning of 努
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to exert
- to strive
How 努 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Strength.
力 gives the meaning and 奴 hints at the sound.
Radical: 力 (strength), shared by 44 characters on this site.
How to remember 努
努 is 奴 (nú) on top of 力 (lì, strength). Picture a hard worker 奴 putting all their strength 力 into the job, and 奴 also gives the sound nǔ.
努 almost always appears in the word 努力 (nǔlì), which works as a verb (to try hard), an adjective (hard-working), or an adverb before another verb. Example: 他学习很努力。(Tā xuéxí hěn nǔlì.) He studies very hard.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 努 (nǔ) with 怒 (nù, anger), which has 心 (heart) at the bottom instead of 力. Remember that effort comes from strength 力, while anger comes from the heart 心, and the tones differ too: third tone for 努, fourth tone for 怒.
Common words with 努
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 努力 | nǔlì | to make an effort; to try hard; to strive; hard-working; conscientious | HSK 2 |
努 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 努
How many strokes are in 努?
努 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 努 mean?
努 (nǔ) means to exert, to strive, to make an effort; to pout. A common word with it is 努力 (nǔlì), meaning "to make an effort; to try hard; to strive; hard-working; conscientious".
How do you pronounce 努?
努 is pronounced nǔ, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 努?
The radical of 努 is 力, which carries the idea of "strength". Dictionaries list 努 under this radical.
Is 努 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 努 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
How do you say 'keep up the good work' using 努?
A common phrase is 继续努力 (jìxù nǔlì), meaning keep working hard. Teachers and bosses often say it as encouragement.
Can 努 be used alone without 力?
In everyday modern Chinese, 努 rarely stands alone. You may see it in the colloquial 努嘴 (nǔzuǐ), to pout or signal with the lips, which matches the 'to pout' sense in the definition.