Definition
鼓劲 is a separable verb (离合词) meaning 'to encourage' or 'to cheer on'. The character 鼓 (drum) + 劲 (strength) literally means 'to drum up energy'. You can split the two characters by inserting a measure word, duration, or object: e.g., 给他鼓了鼓劲 ('gave him some encouragement') or 鼓足劲 ('gather all one's strength'). The most common pattern is Subject + 给 + Person + 鼓 + (measure/duration) + 劲.
v.o.
to encourageto cheer onto rouse someone's enthusiasm
Examples
- 鼓劲。Bǐsài qián dàjiā dōu zài gěi tā gǔ jìn.Everyone was cheering him on before the match.
- ，。Tā gěi dàjiā gǔ le hěn dà de jìn, duìwǔ shìqì gāozhǎng.He gave everyone a huge boost of morale, and the team's spirit soared.
- 。Tā jīngcháng yòng wēixiào gěi biérén gǔjìn.She often encourages others with a smile.
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