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毅力 (yì lì) — perseverance; willpower

Definition

毅力 is the steady, long-term perseverance that carries you through a difficult task. Unlike 意志 (the will/resolve that drives decisions), 毅力 is the grit to keep going day after day.

noun
perseverancewillpower
Easily confused

Examples

  • ，毅力。
    Yào xiǎng xué hǎo yì mén yǔ yán, xū yào hěn dà de yì lì.
    To learn a language well, you need great perseverance.
  • ，毅力。
    Jiǎn féi de guò chéng zhōng, yì lì shì zuì zhòng yào de.
    In the process of losing weight, willpower is the most important thing.
  • 毅力，。
    Méi yǒu yì lì, zài hǎo de jì huà yě wú fǎ shí xiàn.
    Without perseverance, even the best plans cannot be realized.

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.

毅yìresolute
力lìstrength

毅 gives a resolute sense, and 力 gives strength, together naming steady perseverance.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
殳殳shūan ancient Chinese weapon
Sound part声符shēngfú
豙
豙yì毅yì
Same sound today

毅 pairs 豙 (yì), which gives the sound, with 殳, an ancient Chinese weapon.

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 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Personality & Traits

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