勵 meaning and stroke order
To encourage; to strive
How to write 勵, stroke by stroke
17 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 勵
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to encourage
- to urge
How 勵 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Strength.
力 gives the meaning and 厲 hints at the sound.
Radical: 力 (strength), shared by 44 characters on this site.
How to remember 勵
勵 is 厲 (lì) on the left giving the sound, plus 力 (lì, strength) on the right giving the meaning. To encourage someone is to give them strength, so picture 力 pushing them forward.
勵 almost never stands alone. It appears in two-character words like 鼓勵 (gǔlì) and 獎勵 (jiǎnglì). Example: 老師鼓勵我多說中文。(Lǎoshī gǔlì wǒ duō shuō Zhōngwén.) The teacher encouraged me to speak more Chinese.
Common mistake: Learners often write 勵 as 厲 (lì, severe) and drop the 力 on the right. 厲 alone means stern or fierce, as in 厲害 (lìhai), not encourage. Also, 鼓勵 is to encourage, while 獎勵 is to reward with something.
Common words with 勵
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
Questions about 勵
How many strokes are in 勵?
勵 is written with 17 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 勵 mean?
勵 (lì) means to encourage; to strive. A common word with it is 鼓励 (gǔlì), meaning "to encourage".
How do you pronounce 勵?
勵 is pronounced lì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 勵?
The radical of 勵 is 力, which carries the idea of "strength". Dictionaries list 勵 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 勵?
勵 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 励, used in mainland China and Singapore.
What is the difference between 鼓勵 and 激勵?
鼓勵 (gǔlì) is the everyday word for encouraging someone with kind words or support. 激勵 (jīlì) is stronger and more formal. It means to stir someone up or motivate them strongly, and it often appears in writing or speeches.
What does 勵志 mean when describing a book or movie?
勵志 (lìzhì) describes something inspirational or motivational. A 勵志電影 (lìzhì diànyǐng) is an inspiring film, and a 勵志故事 (lìzhì gùshi) is an uplifting story about overcoming difficulty.