练功 (liàn gōng) — to practice (martial arts, qigong, ballet, or other disciplined skills)

Definition

练功 is a 离合词 (separable verb) meaning to practice a disciplined skill such as martial arts, qigong, or ballet. The two characters split for aspect/quantity: 练了三个月的功, 练过一次功.

verb
to practice (martial arts, qigong, ballet, or other disciplined skills)

Examples

  • 练功。
    Tā měi tiān zǎo shàng dōu qù gōng yuán liàn gōng.
    He goes to the park every morning to practice.
  • ，。
    Wǒ liàn le liǎng gè xiǎo shí de gōng, gǎn jué shēn tǐ hǎo duō le.
    I practiced for two hours and feel much better physically.
  • ，。
    Zhè wèi lǎo shī fu liàn le yí bèi zi gōng, gōng fu hěn shēn.
    This old master has practiced all his life and has deep skill.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

练liànpractice
功gōngskill

练 means practice and 功 means skill or trained power, so 练功 is to practice skills.

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 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 →

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
力力lìstrength
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng功gōng
Same sound today

功 puts 力 (strength) beside 工, which gives the sound gōng and means labour or work.

Open 功 →

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