力

Tap the pinyin to hear it

power; force; strength; ability; strenuously

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

A plow's head representing strength

Components 丿 ? unknown part

power · Heisig RSH #732

— as a component also called: muscle, power

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
水力学	shuǐ lì xué	hydraulics
大力水手	Dà lì Shuǐ shǒu	Popeye (the Sailor)
不力	bù lì	not to do one's best; not to exert oneself
大力	dà lì	energetically; vigorously
人力	rén lì	manpower; labor power
有心无力	yǒu xīn wú lì	(idiom) to want to do sth but be unable to; willing but unable
国力	guó lì	a nation's power
水力	shuǐ lì	hydraulic power
动力学	dòng lì xué	dynamics (math.); kinetics
天体力学	tiān tǐ lì xué	celestial mechanics
力学	lì xué	(physics) mechanics; (literary) to study hard
力心	lì xīn	fulcrum; center of force
学力	xué lì	scholastic attainments
心力	xīn lì	mental and physical efforts
电动力学	diàn dòng lì xué	electrodynamics
地力	dì lì	fertility; productivity (of soil or land)
无力	wú lì	to lack strength; to feel weak; to lack the ability or power (to do sth)
有气无力	yǒu qì wú lì	weakly and without strength (idiom); dispirited
生物力学	shēng wù lì xué	biomechanics
马力	mǎ lì	horsepower

These characters use 力 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
力 sound part	lì	strength, power; capability, influence
历	lì	history; calendar
劣	liè	low-quality, inferior, bad
肋	lèi	ribs; chest
仂	lè	excess, remainder, surplus
艻	lè	sweet basil
阞	lè	sedimentary layer; mineral vein