励 meaning and stroke order
To encourage; to strive
How to write 励, 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
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 励
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to encourage
- to urge
How 励 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Strength.
力 gives the meaning and 厉 hints at the sound.
Radical: 力 (strength), shared by 44 characters on this site.
How to remember 励
励 is built from 厉 (lì), which gives the sound, and 力 (lì, strength), which gives the meaning. Picture someone cheering you on so hard that it gives you extra 力 (strength).
励 is rarely used alone and almost always appears in words like 鼓励 (gǔlì, to encourage), 奖励 (jiǎnglì, to reward) and 激励 (jīlì, to motivate). Example: 老师鼓励我多说中文。(Lǎoshī gǔlì wǒ duō shuō Zhōngwén.) The teacher encourages me to speak more Chinese.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 励 with 厉 (lì), as in 厉害 (lìhai, impressive). They sound the same, but only 励 has 力 on the right and means encourage. Another common slip is writing 历 (lì, history) or 力 alone in 鼓励.
Common words with 励
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
励 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 励
How many strokes are in 励?
励 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 励 mean?
励 (lì) means to encourage; to strive. A common word with it is 鼓励 (gǔlì), meaning "to encourage".
How do you pronounce 励?
励 is pronounced lì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 励?
The radical of 励 is 力, which carries the idea of "strength". Dictionaries list 励 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 励?
The traditional form of 励 is 勵. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 励 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 励 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 励 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What does 励志 mean, and how is it used?
励志 (lìzhì) describes something inspirational or motivational. It often comes before a noun, as in 励志电影 (lìzhì diànyǐng, an inspirational movie) or 励志故事 (lìzhì gùshi, an inspiring story).
What is the difference between 鼓励 and 奖励?
鼓励 (gǔlì) means to encourage someone with words or support, usually before or during an effort. 奖励 (jiǎnglì) means to reward someone, often with a prize or money, after they do well. 奖励 can also be a noun meaning a reward.