推动力 (tuī dòng lì) — driving force; impetus; motive

Definition

noun

driving forceimpetusmotive

推动力。
Jīng jì fā zhǎn shì kē jì chuàng xīn de zhǔ yào tuī dòng lì.
Economic development is the main driving force behind technological innovation.
推动力。
Zhè wèi gǎi gé zhě gěi gōng sī dài lái le xīn de tuī dòng lì.
This reformer brought new impetus to the company.
推动力。
Jiào yù shì cù jìn shè huì jìn bù de zhòng yào tuī dòng lì.
Education is an important driving force for social progress.

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.

推动push into motion

补充Verb + complement

推 means push and 动 means move, so 推动 gives driving, and 力 means force, together driving force.

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.

扌隹推

Meaning part形符xíngfú

扌Written in full as手shǒuhand

Sound part声符shēngfú

隹

隹zhuī推tuī

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

The left side 扌 is a hand, and the right side 隹 gives the sound; the character shows pushing with the hand.

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.