How to Write 励 (lì) — Meaning “Encourage; urge”

Imagine you need ten thousand (万) units of power (力) to climb a steep cliff (厂) — that is a huge encouragement! The visual of a difficult climb needing immense strength helps link the parts to the meaning "encourage."

Write the top-left component 厂 first, then the 万 inside it with a dot, and finally the 力 below. A common mistake is forgetting the dot of 万; also make sure the 力 is centered under the 厂 and not too small.

励 has 厂 and 万 on the left, while 功 (achievement) uses 工 (work) and 加 (add) uses 口 (mouth) with 力. Meaning-wise, 励 is about encouragement, 功 is about merit or success, and 加 is about adding or increasing.

励 appears in common words like 鼓励 (to encourage) and 奖励 (reward). The term 励志 (inspirational) is often used for motivational stories or speeches, reflecting Chinese culture's value on perseverance and self-improvement.

Common words containing 励 include: 鼓励 (gǔ lì) — to encourage; 奖励 (jiǎng lì) — to reward; incentive; 励志 (lì zhì) — Inspirational; to encourage one's will.