协力 (xié lì) — to join efforts, to cooperate, to work together

Definition

协力 (xiélì) means to pool effort toward a shared goal — usually appears in formal or collective contexts like projects or teamwork. Note: the example 协你们一臂之力 uses the homophonous verb 帮, not 协力 itself.

verb
to join effortsto cooperateto work together

Examples

  • 协力。
    Dà jiā yīng gāi xié lì wán chéng zhè ge xiàng mù.
    Everyone should cooperate to complete this project.
  • 协力。
    Liǎng gè gōng sī xié lì kāi fā xīn chǎn pǐn.
    The two companies jointly developed new products.
  • 。
    Wǒ men dōu xiǎng xié nǐ men yí bì zhī lì.
    We all want to lend you a hand.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

协xiéunite
力lìstrength

协 means to join and 力 means strength, so together they mean to join one's strength.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 協; 协 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 協 uses 劦, meaning 'to collaborate', plus 十 for sound; the simplified 协 is a later shorthand.

Open 协 →

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 →

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