The Chinese Radical: 力


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Meaning
power, force    力

Explanation variations ar: 为 or: to act .

Used in these characters:
JLPT HSK 2
male, man
nán
Top: rice field , bottom: power
In the rice field you need the power of a man.
JLPT HSK 2
to help, to assist
zhù
Left: in further, moreover (A pile of stones [= a stone cairn] where moreover stones are added.), right: power
Further power helps!
JLPT HSK 2
to move, to act, to use
dòng
Left: cloud, to speak (It can drip from both , namely from noses or: clouds), right: force
Not only clouds move, but also with force you can make things move.
JLPT HSK 2
to separate, to distinguish, to leave, to classify, do to not
bié, biè
Left: another (If it doesn't work with words , you have to try it with force : That's sth. different.), right: knife
If you make another thing by cutting, this is 'separating'.
JLPT HSK 2
affair, business, matter

Top: crossed legs , bottom: force, power
He sits cross-legged but engages with force in: his affairs.
JLPT HSK 2
to behave as, to act as, to serve as
wéi, wèi
Power/force and twice emphasis
With strongly emphasized power, that's how I behave/act.
JLPT HSK 2
side, edge, margin, border, simultaneously
biān
Left: movement , right: power
When sb. moves (pushes) with force, it's best to step aside.
JLPT HSK 3
power, force, strength, ability

A hand or arm with an extra stroke for the strength of the biceps
With a strengthened arm you have power.
JLPT HSK 3
to deal with, to manage, to handle, to set up
bàn
Power with supports on both sides (The supports can also be understood as a double-sided sharp blade, according to the traditional: 辦)
When the power is supported from both sides, then it is dealt with. (be managed)
JLPT HSK 3
to add, plus, Canada 加拿大
jiā
Left: power , right: mouth
(it is meant: to eat) For (getting) power your mouth needs sth. to be 'added'.
JLPT HSK 3
to strive, to make an effort, to exert

Top: slave (Women's hands work like slaves.), bottom: strength
With "slave-like" strength you: strive.
JLPT HSK 3
to pass through, history, calendar

Outside: cliff , inside: power
The cliff was piled up with force: This is the past and has entered into history.
JLPT HSK 4
other, another, separate, separately
lìng
Top: mouth , bottom: force
If it doesn't work with (= mouth), you have to try it with force : That's an other thing.
JLPT HSK 4
brave, courage, righteous
yǒng
Top: (bent person , use ), below: force , better bottom: man (In the rice field is the strength male.)
If the bent person is a (real) man, then it's because he is brave.
JLPT HSK 4
poor, exhausted
qióng
Top: cave, hole (It is covered and a narrowing path leads into the cave.), below: strength
If you have a hole in your strength (= possibilities) you are poor.
JLPT HSK 4
to encourage, to urge

Left: strict, severe 厉 (At the cliff the 10,000 Gods are strict), right: strength
Strictly, a cliff with tenthousendfold strength to encourage.
JLPT HSK 4
to injure, injury, wound
shāng
Left: person , right: person lying down as a variant of , force
If you make a person into a lying person by means of force, you have probably injured him.
JLPT HSK 4
achievement, meritorious, result, accomplishment
gōng
Left: craftsman , right: strength/effort
A craftsman with strength fulfills: achievements.
JLPT HSK 5
strength, energy, enthusiasm, sturdy
jìn, jìng
Left: vertical (A hand vertically above the ground ), right: force
(Think of gravity, thus lifting a load:) The vertical force is full of strength.
JLPT HSK 5
to advise, to urge, persuade, to exhort
quàn
Left: hand , right: force
With your hand and force you can 'advise'.
JLPT HSK 5
diligent, industrious, hardworking, regular
qín
Left: blooming plant (from top: plant , blossoms , growing plant ), right: strength/force
Blooming plants give me strength for my: diligent hardworking.
JLPT HSK 5
infant, young, immature, childish, naive
yòu
Left: thread / right: strength
A thread with the strength of an infant.
JLPT HSK 5
fog, mist

Top: rain , bottom: affair, business 务 (He sits cross-legged , but he handles with force his: affairs)
Rain is an affair connected with: fog or mist.
JLPT HSK 5
inferior, clumsy, low-grade
liè
Top: small/little (A small stroke is too few.), below: strength
Too little strength makes you inferior.
JLPT HSK 5
power, influence, potential, conditions, gesture
shì
Top: grasp, seize (If you get your hand to that small bead you grasp it) [bead, pill = A 'nine' needs an additional stroke to become round like a pill.], bottom: power
Grasping with power means power and influence.
JLPT HSK 5
to kidnap/to shanghai, to turn, crutch, cane
guǎi
Left: hand , right: another (If it doesn't work with words , you have to try it with force : That's sth. different.)
I feel a hand over my mouth and a force - I am kidnapped!
JLPT HSK 5
to struggle, toil, work, become exhausted
láo
From above: growing plant , cover (here: top layer), strength
(Reclaiming the land:) To transform the growing plants into a flat top layer requires strength and that: you struggle.
JLPT HSK 6
to rob, to plunder, to coerce, calamity
jié
Left: to leave (Below ground is the nose , which has left.), right: strength/force
If you are left by your strength, you will be robbed or plundered.
JLPT HSK 6
flourishing, vigorous, prosperous, suddenly

Left: 孛 Combination of ten and character, symbol 字, right: strength
Ten symbols of his strength are flourishing suddenly.
JLPT HSK 6
strive hard, to make an effort, exhort
miǎn
Left: avoid, escape (an escaping rabbit 兔: long ears , big eyes 罒, legs , but without tail ), right: strength
Escape by using strength means: to strive hard.
JLPT HSK 6
false, fake, forged, bogus
wěi
Left: person , right: to act/behave as 为 (A very strongly emphasized force acts as such.)
A person who acts like this is false!
JLPT HSK 6
muscle, tendon
jīn
Top: bamboo , below: ribs 肋 (= The body's part / that resists with force (against pressure) are the ribs.)
They are like bamboo('s fiber) are the body gets its strength by the: muscles and tendons.
JLPT HSK 6
to capture, prisoner of war, to take prisoner

Top: tiger , bottom: force
With a tiger you need force to capture it.
JLPT HSK 6
to fish up, to dredge up
lāo
Left: hand , right: to struggle 劳 (To transform the growing plants into a flat top layer requires strength and a struggle.)
By hand, it is a struggle to fish up sth.
JLPT HSK 6
to investigate, to survey, to collate
kān
Left: extreme/excessive (A grain shovel with an extra angle makes it extraordinary.), right: strength/effort
Make extreme efforts in your investigations.
JLPT HSK 6
to throw, toss, fling, cast, abandon
pāo
From left: hand , vari. of nine , force
In the hand you need nine-fold force for throwing.
JLPT HSK 6
to chatter, gossip, nag
láo
Left: mouth , right: to struggle 劳 (To transform the growing plants into a flat top layer requires strength and that you struggle)
For the mouth it is a struggle to chatter.
JLPT no HSK
rib
lèi
Left: body part /, right: power, force
(Otherwise the intestines would be very soft.) The body-part that resists with force (against pressure) are the ribs.
JLPT no HSK
rein in, to choke, to throttle, to strangle
lè, lēi
Left: leather (Horned 廿 animals have a skin of leather), right: force
For horned animals you need force to rein them. OR: With leather and force you can rein.
JLPT no HSK
to capture, to seize

Left: hand , right: cature, seize 虏 (With a tiger you need force to capture it.)
The hand: captures.
JLPT no HSK
black, dark green
yǒu
Left: black (The underside of the cooking pot is stained by fire black.), right: infant 幼 (A thread / with the strength of an infant.)
The 'black' you gain from threads (= fibers) using force is: a dark green.
JLPT no HSK
a hoe, to hoe or dig, to weed, get rid of
chú
Left: metal 钅/, right: help, support, help 助 (Further power helps.)
Metal, that helps, is the: hoe.
JLPT no HSK
clap of thunder

Top: rain (= window with cloud and drops ), bottom: to pass through, history 历 (The cliff was piled up with force : This is the past and has entered into history)
In the rain, like a cliff of power: the clap of thunder.
JLPT no HSK
to accuse of misconduct, impeach

Left: (zodiac) pig (head , fat body small tail , cf. 豚), right: strength
You need a pig's strength to accuse sb. for that crime.
JLPT no HSK
to drip, to strain or filter, a trickle

Left: water , right: past, calendar 历 (The cliff was piled up with force : This is the past and has entered into history)
(The bucket is leaking:) If the water has passed, it has dripped out.
JLPT no HSK
break in two, to defy, disobey, stubborn, obstinate
ào, ǎo, niù
Left: hand , right: infant 幼 (A thread / with the strength of an infant.)
The hand of an infant: breaks things.
JLPT no HSK
to order, to direct, keep in order
chì
Left: food 饣/ (Below the cover is good food.), right: lying person , force
With food the lying person gets strength: as if on order.
JLPT no HSK
Bohai Sea 渤海 (coast close to Beijing)

Left: water , right: flourishing, prosperous 勃 (Ten symbols 字 of his strength are flourishing suddenly.)
The water is prosperous: at the Bohai Sea.
JLPT no HSK
litchi

Top: plant , bottom: 劦 (3x force )
The plant with the triple power is the: litchi.
JLPT no HSK
medal, merit
xūn
Left: member /員 (= Who has a mouth and money can become a member), right: power, force
The member gets for his power a medal.
JLPT no HSK
to enlist, to recruit, to collect, to raise

Top: negative, sink, sunset (The plants are made by the sun to be large [= as long shadows] at sunset.), bottom: strength, force
With declining forces, (new troops) need to be recruited.

Radicals are shown here that are similar either in appearance or meaning.

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