磨练 (mó liàn) — to temper oneself, to steel oneself (through hardship or rigorous practice)

Definition

磨练 (mó liàn) means actively toughening oneself through hardship — a deliberate process of building character, will, or skill. Pairs with 意志、毅力、意志力; closer in feel to 锻炼 than to 训练.

verb
to temper oneselfto steel oneself (through hardship or rigorous practice)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 磨练。
    Tā zài jūn duì lǐ mó liàn le jiān qiáng de yì zhì.
    He tempered a strong will in the army.
  • ，磨练。
    Zhè xiàng yùn dòng hěn xīn kǔ, dàn néng mó liàn rén de yì lì.
    This sport is hard, but it can steel one's perseverance.
  • 磨练。
    Tā tōng guò chuàng yè mó liàn le zì jǐ de guǎn lǐ néng lì.
    He tempered his management ability through starting a business.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

磨mógrind
练liànpractice

磨 and 练 picture grinding and practicing, so hardship tempers or steels a person.

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
石石shírock
Sound part声符shēngfú
靡
靡mí磨mó
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

磨 combines 石, showing rock, with 靡 for the sound.

Open 磨 →

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 練; 练 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
柬
柬jiǎn練liàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 練 has 糸, silk, and 柬, which gives the sound. The simplified 练 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not historical.

Open 练 →

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