励 (lì) — (bound form) to encourage; to urge; to motivate
Definition
Almost always used as a bound form in compounds meaning to encourage, urge, or motivate (e.g. 鼓励, 激励, 奖励). Standalone 励 is rare — the first two examples are actually 鼓励 and 奖励.
bound form
to encourageto urgeto motivate
Examples
- 。Lǎo shī gǔ lì wǒ jì xù nǔ lì.The teacher encouraged me to keep working hard.
- 。Gōng sī jiǎng lì le yōu xiù de yuán gōng.The company rewarded the excellent employees.
- 。Tā de huà jī lì le dà jiā dī shì qì.His words boosted everyone's morale.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 勵; 励 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
厲
厲lì勵lì
Same sound today
The traditional form 勵 puts 厲 beside 力; 力 is the meaning part, and 厲 gives the sound. The simplified 励 is a later shorthand.
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