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出力 (chū lì) — to exert oneself, to put in effort

Definition

出力 means 'to put in effort / exert oneself', usually for a task or to help someone. It is broader than 用力 (which is purely physical force) and less intensive than 下功夫 (deliberate, sustained investment).

verb
to exert oneselfto put in effort

Examples

  • 出力。
    Tā wèi le zhè ge xiàng mù hěn chū lì.
    He put a lot of effort into this project.
  • 。
    Zhè jiàn shì wǒ zhī chū le yí cì lì.
    I only put in effort once for this matter.
  • ，出力。
    Dà jiā qí xīn xié lì, yì qǐ chū lì ba.
    Let's all work together and put in our efforts.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

出chūput out
力lìstrength

出 'put out' and 力 'strength' combine to mean exert effort.

Characters in this word

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

出 combines 止 (foot) and 凵 (cave) to show a foot stepping out of a cave.

Open 出 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6

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