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尽力而为 (jìn lì ér wéi) — to do one's best, to exert one's utmost efforts

Definition

A formal idiom meaning 'to do one's best' — emphasizes personal effort within one's limits, not guaranteed success. Often paired with 顺其自然 to balance effort with acceptance of outcomes.

idiom
to do one's bestto exert one's utmost efforts

Examples

  • ，尽力而为，。
    Zài gōng zuò zhōng, wǒ huì jìn lì ér wéi, zhēng qǔ zuì hǎo de jié guǒ.
    At work, I will do my best to strive for the best results.
  • ，：“尽力而为，。”
    Kǎo shì qián, tā duì zì jǐ shuō: "jìn lì ér wéi, bú yào yǒu yā lì."
    Before the exam, he told himself: 'Do my best, don't put pressure on myself.'
  • ，尽力而为。
    Suī rán bǐ sài hěn nán, dàn duì yuán men jué dìng jìn lì ér wéi.
    Although the competition was tough, the team members decided to do their best.

Origin

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 盡; 尽 is its simplified writing.

  • 聿聿yùhand holding a brush
  • 灬灬huǒbristles
  • 皿皿mǐndish

The traditional form 盡 shows 聿 (hand holding a brush) and 灬 (bristles) over 皿 (dish), cleaning a dish until it is empty. The simplified 尽 is a shorthand, not those historical parts.

Open 尽 →

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 →

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

The shape of 而 is a picture of a beard.

Open 而 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 為; 为 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 為 showed a hand holding an elephant; the simplified 为 is a later shorthand.

Open 为 →
Appears in
Idioms & Set PhrasesSuccess & Failure

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