How to Write 劢 (mài) — Meaning “put forth effort”

Picture someone saying 'Wow, ten thousand (万) units of strength (力)!' to encourage hard work. The character looks like the number 10,000 next to a muscle, reminding you to put forth effort.

Write the left component 万 first with its horizontal stroke, then the hook, and finally the right component 力. Keep the left side slightly smaller and positioned higher than the right to maintain balance. A common mistake is making the 万 too wide, which pushes 力 off-center.

劝 (quàn, 'to advise') has 又 on the left and 力 on the right, while 办 (bàn, 'to do') has 力 in the middle with two dots. 劢 (mài) uniquely combines 万 with 力 to focus on physical or mental exertion, unlike the advising or doing meanings of the others.

劢 is a classical character rarely used alone in daily conversation, but it appears in formal or literary phrases like 劢力 ('exert effort') and 勤劢 ('diligent'). You might encounter it in motivational writing or historical texts to emphasize determined action.

Common words containing 劢 include: 劢力 (mài lì) — exert effort; 劢精 (mài jīng) — exert one's spirit; 勤劢 (qín mài) — diligent.