魔力 (mó lì) — magic; magic power | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

魔力 is 'magic' as a mysterious power that fascinates or changes things. Unlike 魅力 (charm, in people or things) or 魔法 (the sorcery/craft of magic), 魔力 emphasizes the captivating, almost supernatural force.

noun

magicmagic power

Examples

魔力。
Zhè kuài shí tou jù shuō yǒu shén mì de mó lì.
This stone is said to have mysterious magic power.
魔力，。
Tā de biǎo yǎn chōng mǎn le mó lì, dà jiā dōu kàn dāi le.
His performance was full of magic, and everyone was mesmerized.
魔力？
Nǐ xiāng xìn mó lì zhēn de néng gǎi biàn mìng yùn ma?
Do you believe that magic can really change destiny?

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.

魔 refers to magic and 力 to power; together they mean magical power.

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.

麻鬼魔

Meaning part形符xíngfú

鬼鬼guǐdemon

Sound part声符shēngfú

麻

麻má魔mó

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

魔 pairs 鬼, meaning demon, with 麻, which gives the sound.

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

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Mythology & Folklore 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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