一臂之力 (yī bì zhī lì) — a helping hand; assistance

Definition

A set phrase meaning 'a helping hand' — literally 'the strength of one arm'. Use it to thank or acknowledge someone's contribution to your success.

noun

a helping handassistance

一臂之力。
Tā zài wǒ xū yào shí shēn chū le yī bì zhī lì.
He lent a helping hand when I needed it.
一臂之力，。
Duō kuī nǐ de yī bì zhī lì, wǒ men cái àn shí wán chéng le rèn wu.
Thanks to your help, we finished the task on time.
，一臂之力。
Zhè cì chuàng yè chéng gōng, quán kào péng you men zhù le yī bì zhī lì.
This startup succeeded entirely because friends lent a helping hand.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

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

肉肉ròumeat; flesh

Sound part声符shēngfú

辟

Same sound today

臂 includes 肉, meaning meat or flesh, and 辟, which gives the character its sound.

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

The shape pairs 止, a foot, with 一, a beginning place, and means to go.

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