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听力 (tīng lì) — hearing (physical sense); listening ability (especially in language learning or exams)

Definition

听力 is the ability to hear — both your physical hearing and, in school/exam contexts, your listening comprehension. It refers to the skill, not the people: for an audience use 听众.

noun
hearing (physical sense)listening ability (especially in language learning or exams)

Examples

  • 听力。
    Wǒ zǔ fù de tīng lì yuè lái yuè chà le.
    My grandfather's hearing is getting worse.
  • 听力，？
    Míng tiān de kǎo shì yǒu tīng lì bù fen, nǐ zhǔn bèi hǎo le ma?
    There's a listening section on tomorrow's exam — are you ready?
  • 听力。
    Kàn zhòng wén diàn yǐng néng tí gāo nǐ de tīng lì.
    Watching Chinese movies can improve your listening ability.

Origin

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.

听tīnglisten
力lìability

The 听 listening and 力 ability combine as the power to hear.

Characters in this word

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 聽; 听 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 聽 has 耳 (ear) and 口 (mouth), used for listening; the simplified 听 is a later shortened form unrelated to that picture.

Open 听 →

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 4Senses

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