内力 (nèi lì) — inner energy, internal force (in martial arts, qigong, and traditional Chinese medicine)

Definition

Literary/cultural term for the 'inner energy' cultivated through martial arts (武侠), qigong, and traditional Chinese medicine — not a scientific concept. Appears mainly in wuxia novels and TCM texts.

noun
inner energyinternal force (in martial arts, qigong, and traditional Chinese medicine)

Examples

  • ，内力。
    Tā liàn le shí nián gōng fu, nèi lì fēi cháng shēn hòu.
    He has practiced kung fu for ten years and has very deep internal force.
  • ，内力。
    Zài zhōng guó de wǔ xiá xiǎo shuō lǐ, nèi lì shì gāo shǒu bì bèi de néng lì.
    In Chinese wuxia novels, internal force is a necessary ability for masters.
  • 内力。
    Xué xí nèi lì xū yào nài xīn hé zhèng què de fāng fǎ.
    Learning internal energy requires patience and correct methods.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

内nèiinside
力lìforce

内 means inside, and 力 means force, giving the sense of force from within.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 入入rùto enter
  • 冂冂jiōnghouse

The shape shows 入 entering into 冂, a house, so it pictures bringing something indoors, giving the sense inside.

Open 内 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

力 is drawn as either an arm bending out from the side of the body or a wooden plough.

Open 力 →

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