鼓励 (gǔ lì) — to encourage | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A neutral verb for 'to encourage' — positive support or praise. 鼓舞 is closer to 'inspire/boost morale'; 怂恿 is negative ('urge someone into trouble').

verb

to encourage

Examples

鼓励。
Mā ma cháng cháng gǔ lì wǒ nǔ lì xué xí.
My mother often encourages me to study hard.
鼓励。
Dà jiā yīng gāi hù xiāng gǔ lì.
Everyone should encourage each other.
鼓励。
Tā de gǔ lì ràng wǒ hěn gǎn dòng.
His encouragement moved me deeply.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

励lìencourage

鼓 suggests rousing and 励 suggests strengthening, so together they mean to encourage.

Characters in this word

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

壴支鼓

壴壴zhùdrum
支支zhīhand holding drumstick

鼓 combines 壴, a drum, with 支, a hand holding a drumstick, so the character pictures a drum being struck.

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 勵; 励 is its simplified writing.

厲力勵

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

厲

厲lì勵lì

Same sound today

The traditional form 勵 puts 厲 beside 力; 力 is the meaning part, and 厲 gives the sound. The simplified 励 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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