致力 (zhì lì) — to devote oneself to; to dedicate oneself to (f… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Formal verb meaning 'to devote/dedicate oneself to' a cause or goal. It always takes 于 and a goal (致力於 X), unlike 努力 which takes a verb phrase.

verb

to devote oneself toto dedicate oneself to (formal)

Examples

。
Tā yì shēng dōu zhì lì yú huán bǎo shì yè.
He devoted his whole life to environmental protection.
。
Zhè ge zǔ zhī zhì lì yú bāng zhù pín kùn ér tóng.
This organization is dedicated to helping poor children.
。
Wǒ men yīng gāi zhì lì yú tí gāo jiào yù zhì liàng.
We should strive to improve the quality of education.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

力lìeffort

致力 combines 致, devote, with 力, effort, to mean giving one's effort to a task.

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.

至攵致

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攵Written in full as攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

至

至zhì致zhì

Same sound today

致 pairs 至, used for its sound, with 攵, written in full as 攴.

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.

Appears in

Will & Intention

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