忍耐力 (rěn nài lì) — endurance; ability to endure hardship or patience

Definition

noun
enduranceability to endure hardship or patience

Examples

  • 忍耐力。
    Cháng pǎo xū yào hěn qiáng de rěn nài lì.
    Long-distance running requires great endurance.
  • 忍耐力。
    Tā kào jīng rén de rěn nài lì wán chéng le zhè xiàng rèn wu.
    He completed this task with astonishing endurance.
  • 忍耐力。
    Xué xí wài yǔ yě xū yào rěn nài lì.
    Learning a foreign language also requires endurance.

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.

忍耐endure
忍rěnbear耐nàiendure
联合Coordinate
力lìability

忍 and 耐 both mean bear or endure, and 力 adds the sense of ability.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
刃
刃rèn忍rěn
Same sound today

忍 combines 心 (heart) and 刃 (blade). The 刃 part provides the sound, and the 心 part is the heart.

Open 忍 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
而
而ér耐nài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

耐 puts 而 on the left and 寸 on the right: 而 gives the sound, and 寸 gives the sense.

Open 耐 →

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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