原动力 (yuán dòng lì) — motive power; driving force

Definition

noun

motive powerdriving force

原动力。
Zhēng qì shì gōng yè gé mìng de yuán dòng lì.
Steam was the driving force of the Industrial Revolution.
原动力。
Zhuī qiú lì rùn shì shì chǎng jīng jì de zhǔ yào yuán dòng lì.
The pursuit of profit is the main driving force of the market economy.
原动力。
Hào qí xīn shì kē xué yán jiū de yuán dòng lì.
Curiosity is the driving force of scientific research.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

动力motive power

偏正Modifier + head

原 (original) and 动力 (motive power) together mean the driving force behind something.

Characters in this word

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

原 combines 泉 (spring) and 厂 (cliff), picturing a spring bursting from a cliff-side, which gives the sense of origin or source.

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 動; 动 is its simplified writing.

重力動

Meaning part形符xíngfú

力力lìstrength

Sound part声符shēngfú

重

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 動 uses 力 (strength) and 重 as a sound part; 重 refers to a heavy bag ready to be moved by a human. This note is about 動, not 动.

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.