TongTong
Sign in

张力 (zhāng lì) — tension (physical force, pulling force); tension (in art, narrative, or emotional context)

Definition

A written/technical noun for 'tension' — covers both physical pulling force (e.g. on a rope) and dramatic/narrative suspense. Mostly used in formal or scientific writing, not everyday speech.

noun
tension (physical force, pulling force)tension (in art, narrative, or emotional context)

Examples

  • 张力。
    Zhè gēn shéng zi chéng shòu hěn dà de zhāng lì.
    This rope bears a lot of tension.
  • 。
    Cái liào xū yào dǐ kàng lā shēn zhāng lì.
    The material must resist tensile stress.
  • 张力。
    Diàn yǐng de jù qíng chōng mǎn zhāng lì.
    The movie plot is full of tension.

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.

张zhāngstretch
力lìforce

Stretch and force combine to mean the pulling tension in something.

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 張; 张 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
弓弓gōngbow
Sound part声符shēngfú
長
長cháng張zhāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 張 combines 弓, a bow, with 長, which points to the sound; the simplified 张 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 张 →

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
Abstract Concepts

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.