潜力 (qián lì) — potential, latent capacity | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

潜力 (qiánlì) is hidden, undeveloped capacity — what someone or something COULD become. 潜能 is a near-synonym used in psychology; 才能 is talent that is already visible.

noun

potentiallatent capacity

Examples

潜力，。
Zhè ge nián qīng rén hěn yǒu qián lì, jiāng lái yí dìng néng chéng gōng.
This young person has great potential and will surely succeed in the future.
潜力。
Gōng sī xū yào wā jué měi gè yuán gōng de qián lì.
The company needs to tap into every employee's potential.
潜力。
Zhè piàn tǔ dì yǒu jù dà de nóng yè qián lì.
This land has enormous agricultural potential.

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.

The word joins 潜, 'hidden', and 力, 'power', for latent capacity.

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 潛; 潜 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

朁

朁cǎn潛qián

Same sound today

The form 潛 has 水 as a meaning part and 朁 as a sound part; this note is about 潛, not the simplified 潜.

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.

Appears in

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