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助力 (zhù lì) — (verb) to help, to aid; (noun) assistance, support

Definition

助力 works as both verb ('to help/aid') and noun ('assistance'); it's more formal and dynamic than everyday 帮助, often used for policy, technology, or projects giving momentum to a cause. Compare with 援助 (official aid) and 协助 (cooperative assistance).

verb
to helpto aid
noun
assistancesupport
Easily confused

Examples

  • 助力。
    Zhèng fǔ chū tái zhèng cè zhù lì zhōng xiǎo qǐ yè fā zhǎn.
    The government introduced policies to aid the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
  • 助力，。
    Méi yǒu dà jiā de zhù lì, zhè ge xiàng mù bù kě néng chéng gōng.
    Without everyone's assistance, this project couldn't have succeeded.
  • 助力。
    Zhè zhǒng xīn jì shù gěi yī liáo háng yè dài lái le hěn dà de zhù lì.
    This new technology has brought great assistance to the medical industry.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

助zhùhelp
力lìstrength

The sense of helping combines with strength to express lending aid.

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
力力lìstrong arm
Sound part声符shēngfú
且
且qiě助zhù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

助 pairs 力, a strong arm, with 且, which gives the sound; the meaning is help with strength.

Open 助 →

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 7-9

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