强身 (qiáng shēn) — to build up one's physique, to strengthen the body, to improve one's health

Definition

A formal written compound meaning 'to strengthen the body / build up one's physique', typically used in set phrases like 强身健体. Reads as a literary goal or slogan rather than everyday speech about exercising.

verb
to build up one's physiqueto strengthen the bodyto improve one's health

Examples

  • 强身。
    Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng pǎo bù lái qiáng shēn.
    He runs every morning to build up his physique.
  • ，。
    Jiān chí duàn liàn, nǐ jiù néng qiáng shēn jiàn tǐ.
    By exercising consistently, you can strengthen your body and improve your health.
  • ，。
    Jīng guò jǐ gè yuè de xùn liàn, tā qiáng le yì shēn jī ròu.
    After several months of training, he built up a lot of muscle.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

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

强qiángstrengthen
身shēnbody

强 means strengthen, and 身 means body.

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 強; 强 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 強 pairs an insect component with a sound component; this explains 強, not the simplified 强.

Open 强 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 身 comes from a drawing of a pregnant woman.

Open 身 →

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