生产力 (shēng chǎn lì) — productive forces (in Marxist theory); productivity (capacity to produce)

Definition

A Marxist-theory term: society's capacity to produce, i.e. the workers, tools, and technology (forces of production), as distinct from 生产关系 (relations of production).

noun
productive forces (in Marxist theory)productivity (capacity to produce)

Examples

  • 生产力。
    Fā zhǎn shēng chǎn lì shì shè huì zhǔ yì de gēn běn rèn wu.
    Developing the productive forces is the fundamental task of socialism.
  • 生产力。
    Tí gāo shēng chǎn lì xū yào jì shù chuàng xīn.
    Improving productivity requires technological innovation.
  • 生产力。
    Xīn de shēng chǎn fāng shì dà dà tí gāo le shēng chǎn lì.
    The new production method greatly increased productivity.

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.

生产production
生shēng产chǎn
力lìforce

生产 gives the idea of production, while 力 adds the sense of force or capacity.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

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 產; 产 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
生生shēngto be born
Sound part声符shēngfú
彥
彥yàn產chǎn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 產 pairs 生, "to be born," with 彥 as a sound part; the simplified 产 is a shorthand.

Open 产 →

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 →

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