Meaning of 锻炼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to toughen
- to temper
- to engage in physical exercise
- to work out
- (fig.) to develop one's skills
- to train oneself
How to use 锻炼
In daily speech 锻炼 most often means to work out or get exercise, and it is also used for training a skill or building character through hard experience. Example: 我每天早上锻炼身体。(Wǒ měitiān zǎoshang duànliàn shēntǐ.) I exercise every morning.
锻 (duàn) has the metal radical 钅 and means to forge metal, as in 锻造 (duànzào). 炼 (liàn) has the fire radical 火 and means to refine with heat, so 锻炼 pictures hammering and heating metal until it gets strong, just as exercise makes your body strong.
Common mistake: Learners often write 炼 with the silk radical 纟, which gives 练 (liàn) as in 练习 (liànxí, to practice). 锻炼 uses the fire radical 火, because the word comes from tempering metal with heat.
锻炼 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
锻 duàn · to temper · 14 strokes
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炼 liàn · to refine · 9 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 锻炼.
| 提炼 | tíliàn | to extract (ore, minerals etc); to refine |
| 炼狱 | liànyù | purgatory |
| 试炼 | shìliàn | to refine with fire |
| 锻造 | duànzào | to forge (metal); forging |
| 修炼 | xiūliàn | (of Taoists) to practice austerities; to practice asceticism |
Questions about 锻炼
What does 锻炼 mean?
锻炼 (duànliàn) means "to toughen; to temper" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 锻炼?
锻炼 is made of 2 characters: 锻 (14 strokes), 炼 (9 strokes). That is 23 strokes in total.
Is 锻炼 an HSK word?
Yes. 锻炼 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 锻炼 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 锻炼 is written 鍛鍊.
What is the difference between 锻炼 and 运动?
运动 (yùndòng) can be a noun meaning sports or exercise, as in 我喜欢运动. 锻炼 is mainly a verb focused on the effort of strengthening something, and it can take objects like 身体 (body) or 能力 (ability).
Can 锻炼 be used for things other than physical exercise?
Yes. You can say 锻炼能力 (duànliàn nénglì), to develop one's abilities, or 这份工作很锻炼人 (zhè fèn gōngzuò hěn duànliàn rén), this job really toughens a person up.