Taxonomy of meanings for 力:　　

  • lì (曾開三入職來 (白一平: lik; 古韻: lik))筋也又姓黃帝佐力牧之後林直切九
    • 力 STRONG
      • nab.adVin strength, regarding strength or power
      • nabactfeats of physical strength
      • nabderived(relative) power, strength, complete efforts; inner strength
      • nabstativephysical strength; physical force
      • nadNstrong
      • vifigurativebe forceful and convincing, strong and energetic
      • vtoNcausativecause (oneself) to be constitutionally (not just temporarily) strong
      • nab(.post-N)the strength of NCH
      • nab.post-Npowerful influence of NCH
      • nadVusing （often: all one's) strength, powerfully, with one's power/strength; with all one's strength 力田 "work hard in agriculture"
      • nab.post-Nthe physical strength of NLZ
      • have the strength to> ABLE
        • nabdispositionextent of one's ability, physical capacity
        • social and political> POWER
          • nabsocial(military or political) strength and influence; effective power
          • nadNpowerful
          • nab.adNactforced, brought about through exercise of (brute, unnatural) powerCH
        • strong potential> ENERGY
          • nabpsychnon-physical strength, functional potential (of eyes or the mind); personal energy
          • nab.adVwith all one's energy, with all one's might
          • use energy> WORK
            • nabactstrenuous manual labour; meritorious effort, meritorious contribution; exercise of strength, powerful effort; contribution
            • v[adN]pluralthose who work hard
            • viactput in energetic work, work hard
            • vt+prep+NPab{ACT}work hard at
            • vt+V[0]use all one's strength on, do one's best in (weaving and housework)
            • vtoNwork hard at
            • vtoNcausativeto make sure that N works hardLZ
            • use energy for an aim> STRIVE FOR
              • vtoNstrive for, try with all one's might to obtain
              • vtoNpassivebe striven for with all one's might
            • feature in service> DILIGENT
              • nadVinstrumentwith all one's might, all one can

      Additional information about 力

      說文解字: 【力】，筋也。象人筋之形。治功曰力，能圉大災。 〔小徐本「圉」作「禦」，「災」作「灾」，無「也」。〕 凡力之屬皆从力。 【林直切】

        Criteria
      • ABLE

        [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

        [ARCHAIC/CURRENT]

        [DIFFICULT/EASY]

        [ENDOGENIC/EXOGENIC]

        [EMOTIONAL/UNEMOTIONAL]

        [INCIDENTAL/INHERENT]

        [INNATE/ACQUIRED]

        [LASTING!/TEMPORARY]

        [PHYSICAL/PSYCHOLOGICAL]

        [PRACTICAL/THEORETICAL]

        1. The commonest word is néng 能 "have an inherent capacity for, have the personal ability to".

        [CURRENT], [ENDOGENIC], [GRADED], [LASTING]

        2. Kě yǐ 可以 "be in an objective position to, have the possibility to".

        [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [EXOGENIC], [TEMPORARY!]

        3. Zú yǐ 足以 emphasises sufficiency of conditions necessary to get something done.

        [CURRENT], [GRADED], [INHERENT], [PHYSICAL]

        4. Kè 克 typically comes to emphasise the ability to do something difficult in post-archaic times, but the word was equivalent to néng 能 in early texts.

        [ABSOLUTE], [ARCHAIC], [INCIDENTAL], [TEMPORARY], [PHYSICAL]

        5. Rén 任 emphasises a general qualification to achieve something worth achieving and not obviously easy to achieve.

        [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [ENDOGENIC], [TEMPORARY]

        6. Kān 堪 typically refers to the ability to do something others might not be willing or psychologically able to do.

        [ABSOLUTE], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [EMOTIONAL], [ENDOGENIC], [PSYCHOLOGICAL]

        7. Jì 技 "expertise, know-how" refers to the talents for crafts and the like, and the word is not normally used as a verb. See SKILL.

        [ACQUIRED], [CURRENT], [DIFFICULT], [GRADED], [LASTING], [PRACTICAL]

        8. Lì 力 "strength" is sometimes used to refer to an ability to do something which in some sense requires strength.

        9. Zhī 知 refers to the intellectual ability to do something, especially to do something that is not intellectually trivial.

        10. Jì néng 技能 refers to a lasting acquired skill.

        NB: Dé 得 "cope, show an ability to do something by actually doing it" is an achievement verb and does not belong in this group. See COPE.

      • EFFORT

        1. The most general word for physical (and sometimes also mental) effort is perhaps miǎn 勉.

        2. Láo 勞 (ant. yì 逸 "failure to put in an effort, relaxed attitude") emphasises the strenuousness and the tiresome nature of effort, and is the most widely used word.

        3. Lì 力 emphasises the strength needed to make a effort.

        4. Wù 務 emphasises the dutifulness of effort. NB: the meaning "strive to" is separate. See STRIVE FOR.

        5. Qín 勤 refers to an honest and strenuous effort.

        6. Yòng xīn 用心 focusses on concentration and the consciousness of an effort.

        7. The common word jìn 盡 is sometimes used to refer to an all-out effort to do something.

      • STRONG

        1. The current general word for the temporary state of strength, physical or political, are qiáng 強 (ant. ruò 弱 "weak").

        2. The typically nominal or adverbial lì 力 commonly refers to a permanent property of strength..

        3. Yì 毅 (ant. nuò 懦 "weak") refers to inflexible and unshakeable firmness as well as strength.

        4. Jìng 勁 (ant. léi 羸 "weak") and jìng 競 (ant. shuāi 衰 "reduced state, lack of energy") refers to strength mainly under the aspect of a physical or mental energy.

        5. Zhuàng 壯 (ant. ruò 弱 "weak") refers to longish-term constitutional physical strength.

        6. Jiàn 健 (ant. shuāi 衰 "in a reduced state, lacking energy") refers to temporary short-term constitutional strength which is the result of a good physical constitution. See HEALTHY

      • DILIGENT

        1. The current word for (typically respectful) meticulous and almost fastidious diligence is jǐn 謹 (ant. màn 慢 "be neglectful").

        2. Shèn 慎 (ant. hū 忽 "be neglectful") "be careful and cautious" emphasises not only careful attention but also wariness of possible danger.

        3. Lì 力 emphasises total devotion of all one's physical and mental effort, and in this meaning the word is normally adverbial.

        4. Qín 勤 (ant. duò 惰 "without proper strenuous and dutiful effort") emphasises dutiful mental effort.

        5. Quàn 勸 focusses on the externally induced enthusiasm with which something is done.

        6. Miǎn 勉 focusses on externally or internally generated extraordinary enthusiasm for a task.

        7. Què 愨 emphasises the moral appropriateness of the diligence in question.

        8. Yuàn 愿 (not to be confused with yuàn 願 "hope") is an elevated rare word referring to respectful diligence of the people.

        9. Jìng 敬 often refers to respectful diligence in action imposed by one's respect rather than to the attitude or the explicit direct show of respect as such.

      • REMEMBER

        1. The current general word for thinking about something remebered from the past is yì 憶.

        2. Huái 懷 refers to recalling something remembered with affection.

        3. Shí 識 refers to a continued awareness of something in the past.

        4. Zhì 志 is to cause the memory of something to be guarded.

        5. Qiáng zhì 強識 refers to having a good memory.

        NB: The general abstract modern notion of jìyìlì 記憶力 appears not to be present in classical Chinese.

      • BEAUTIFUL

        [ABSOLUTE/GRADED]

        [ACOUSTIC/VISUAL]

        [ARTIFICIAL/NATURAL]

        [[COMMON/RARE]]

        [ELEVATED/VULGAR]

        [GENERAL/SPECIFIC]

        [HUMAN/NON-HUMAN]

        [POETIC/PROSAIC]

        1. The general word is měi 美 "handsome and admirable" (ant. è 惡 "ugly") which refers to anything concrete or abstract which is attractive or handsome in a dignified way, and the word often retains its primary culinary sense of "tasty".

        [GENERAL], [GRADED]; [[COMMON]]

        2. Lì 麗 (ant. sù 素 "unaodorned") is often restricted to physical objects, prototypically to clothes, and emphasises their balanced symmetric beauty, occasionally also - by analogy - the well-aligned symmetric beauty of mountains.

        [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

        3. Wén 文 (ant. zhì 質 "merely material") emphasises cultivated external as well as internal elegance as well as traditionalism.

        [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], [NON-HUMAN], [VISUAL!]

        4. Yǎ 雅 (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") emphasises primarily external elevated elegance.

        [ACOUSTIC!], [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED+], [NON-HUMAN]

        5. Hǎo 好 "comely, handsome" (ant. chǒu 醜 "ugly") refers indiscriminately to men and women, but the word is sometimes more general and even abstract in application and refers to attractive words or attractive moral qualities.

        [HUMAN!], [NATURAL], [VISUAL]

        6. Xiù 秀 "of vigorous and imposing beauty" focusses on flourishing and flamboyant beauty in analogy with that of flowers.

        [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [NON-HUMAN], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

        7. Huá 華 "of striking and colourful beauty" (ant. sú 俗 "vulgar") focusses on flourishing and flamboyant superficial or only apparent beauty, on the analogy analogy with that of flowers.

        [ARTIFICIAL], [ELEVATED], NON-HUMAN], [SUPERFICIAL], [VISUAL]

        8. Zhuàng 壯 "stately" (ant. ruò 弱 "weak and unsightly") is virile beauty associated with strength and vigour. See STRONG

        [NATURAL], [MARGINAL], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

        9. Jiā 佳 "of outstanding beauty" (NB: liè 劣 "unremarkable" is the ant. of jiā 佳 "outstanding", and not in the meaning of "outstandingly beautiful") emphasises comparative beauty compared to others in the same group.

        [GRADED], [ELEVATED], [NATURAL], [POETIC]

        10. Dū 都 "urbane and exquisitely beautiful" (ant. bì 鄙 "rustic and inelegant") is a highly poetic word that can only be used in elevated prose.

        [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [POETIC], [VISUAL]; [[RARE]]

        11. Yán 妍 "attractive and exquisite (of humans as well as human products)" (ant. chì 蚩 "unattractive") refers to elaborate beauty. See SEXY.

        [ARCHAIC], [ELEVATED], [HUMAN], [POETIC]; [[RARE]]

        12. Xiū 脩 / 修 "refined moral beauty" refers to moral as well as physical beauty, thus coming close the Greek kalokagathia, but never approaching the latter in importance as a cultural keyword.

        <div>[ELEVATED], [ARTIFICIAL]; [[RARE]]</div><div><br></div><div>吳蓬，東方審美詞彙集萃，上海文藝出版社，2002 lists the following rough definitions of a variety of terms of aesthetic appreciation by the artist and scholar Wu Peng. Many of these terms express conventional appreciative flattery only. This list does provide one not particularly well-known artist's subjective readings of some basic terms of traditional Chinese aesthetic approbation.</div><div>勃：富有生机之突起。<br>苍：浓的，毛的，老练的。<br>沉：沉着不浮，有重量感。<br>冲：调成和淡之意向。<br>饬：整顿。<br>粗：大而不笨者。<br>淳：清，往往易薄，然而淳是清中滋润之厚。<br>醇：与淳略同，这醇是提炼后的滋润之厚。<br>绰：与"约"字合用，即舒而不纵之意。<br>澹：平静而有幽淡之趣。<br>淡：与浓艳相对。<br>宕：放荡不拘。<br>跌：往往与"宕"字合用，即是起伏明显之状。<br>端：方正而不出偏，有稳实感。<br>敦：很实在的，结实的厚。<br>繁：众而密，有生气。<br>方：与平正同义。<br>丰：饱满而充足。<br>风：审美中之"风"指的是一种气韵格调。<br>飞：大幅度的流动。<br>刚：属于阳性的，有正力的，与柔软相对。</div><div>高：俯视一切的、超然得不一般。<br>工：规矩，不潦草。<br>孤：自我独立。<br>古：旧气，更有历史的抗怀千载之迹象。<br>骨：内在的架子。<br>犷：是跟"雄悍"接近，在粗中发展开来。<br>瑰：不单调的美。<br>乖：不和顺。<br>憨：近于拙朴而敦实。<br>酣：厚润四溢。<br>豪：激动向上之貌，有气魄。<br>宏：大而有气度。<br>厚：有沉积的饱和。<br>华：明亮而艳丽。<br>环：长久圆融之境。<br>荒：与"枯简"接近，不修饰。<br>豁：与开朗接近，然比开朗明显。<br>恢：宽广有余。<br>浑：团然一气之象，有朦胧感。<br>简：经过一番整修的减少。<br>娇：美得可爱。<br>警：审美中用此警字，往往指敏锐、颖达。<br></div><div>劲：能察觉的力。<br>精：很到位。<br>隽：精致而具内涵之美。<br>娟：秀而婉丽。<br>崛：高起而突出。<br>俊：人材杰曲之美。<br>峻：山高而陡。在书画中是浓而锋利之用笔。<br>空：有灵气之空白。<br>枯：干而毛，生的萎缩，然亦是力的显露。<br>宽：大度而畅朗。<br>旷：广阔而空灵。<br>辣：是枯毛爽直的老笔触。<br>朗：明亮而豁然。<br>琅：圆而光润。<br>伦：是同类之意，带有文明意念。<br>冷：跟"淡"与"静”接近，与浓烈相对。<br>炼：精到而有功力。<br>淋：与"漓”往往合用，是无拘束的洒落。<br>流：明显的动感。<br>迈：阔而放的超势。<br>莽：宽广而繁密的，朴直奔放的。<br>袤：与"古"字合用，即悠长久远之趣。<br>茂：有生气的繁密。<br>媚：柔美之趣。<br>宓：安而静。<br>明：清晰有亮度。<br>凝：浓重而不流动。<br>懦：毫无火气之柔软。<br>平：一般的，接近于稳。<br>朴：原始状态，形象较准。<br>嫖：与"姚"字合用，即动疾之状，而有气势。<br>奇：不一般。<br>气：生发的，迎面直扑而来的感觉。<br>清：是混的相对。其间透出一股朗气。<br>峭：山之直而险，在书画中是露锋的侧锋用笔，有明显露<br>尖状态。文章中之峭，是意气直逼。<br>遒：婉转有致，内力强劲。<br>虬：与遒类似，但动感较强，弯曲而有力度。<br>意：诚实谨慎。<br>儒：代表文人之书卷气。<br>洒：散落无拘束。<br>赡：富有与丰实。若与"疏”、"逸”组合即成"澹”或"安"之义。</div><div>骚：审美中之骚字，可引伸为风骚至风流感。<br>韶：美丽有光泽。<br>涩：在不爽快的进程中，流露出内力之美。<br>深：不是浮面的。<br>神：精与气合。高端的。<br>生：不成熟，但比成熟有味。<br>肆：任意放纵。<br>松：松是灵活自然，是一切技巧之本要。<br>瘦：与粗笨相对，在审美中的"瘦"，是指细长而精练。<br>疏：一种稀少秀朗之美。<br>肃：有立即静穆下来之势。<br>率：与潦草随便有别，爽快而直接。<br>邃：深远而悠久。<br>阅：通达之意。<br>给：与"宕"合用，是安详舒放之趣。<br>天:很自然，一片天箱之"天"。<br>恬：安静而坦然。<br>挺：直而有生气。<br>婉：柔和而曲折。<br>温：是一种暖调与缓和的综合。</div><div>巍：往往与"峨"合用，是高大厚实之趣。<br>洗：与"炼”合用，即是"精炼"之意，凡物之洁出于洗。<br>犀：与"利"字合用，即坚利。<br>熙：光明，和乐。<br>细：指细而不纤。<br>娴：文静而雅致。<br>闲：一种高雅的自由。<br>萧：疏少有致。<br>潇：散朗而润泽。<br>馨：很醇厚的香气。<br>篁："篁古”是悠远辽阔之意。<br>雄：强大，有力度，有霸气。<br>秀：灵巧的，有生气的，美好的显露。<br>虚：表象空，但并非真空。<br>雅：文气而不俗。<br>妍：鲜美而柔性。<br>严：认真，不马虎。<br>淹：一种浸沉与精深明达之境。<br>野：超脱、不规范。<br>冶：经过一番精致修饰。<br>逸：悠闲的起伏。</div><div>意：精神倾向。<br>莹：透明而幽亮。<br>雍：往往与“容"字合用，有和顺之貌。<br>幽：静而深。<br>腴：肥润而饱和。<br>郁：厚积而有生气。<br>纤：与"迥"字合用，即弯环回绕之趣。<br>遹：与"瑰"字合用，即纤迥美丽之趣。<br>渊：往往与"懿"合用，是深润而悠美之趣。<br>圆：接近于饱满润滑。<br>蕴：与"藉"合用，即内涵丰富。<br>韵：一种余味不尽之趣。<br>恣：放纵的，无拘束的。<br>滋：湿润感。<br>自：出于本性的流露。<br>质：本体的，实在的。<br>纵：放逸无拘之状。<br>拙：接近朴，形不准。<br>庄：端正之貌。<br>卓：与“荤"合用，是突出明显之状。<br></div><div><br></div><br>

      • STRIVE FOR

        1. The current general word for striving for something as an important aim in one's life is wù 務.

        2. Shì 事 refers to working at something either because one has chosen to or because it is part of one's duties.

        3. Yè 業 refers to the making something one's professional concern.

        4. Lì 力 is occasionally used to refer to the putting every effort into something.

        Word relations
      • Ant: (POWER)德/VIRTUE The current general term for salient features and principles of charismatic moral integrity and generosity is dé 德, when used as a term of ethical evalutation; but this word has many other philosophically important meanings.
      • Object: (STRONG)竭/EXHAUST Jié 竭 (ant. yíng 盈 "leave plenty of something") typically refers to the using up of what one has in one, or what one owns.
      • Object: (ENERGY)盡/EXHAUST The current general word for using up anything material or immaterial is jìn 盡.
      • Object: (STRONG)量/MEASURE
      • Epithet: (POWER)兵/WEAPON Bīng 兵 refers to warfare as a military practice rather than as a political means to achieve ends, and it is significant that the word has no obvious antonym.
      • Epithet: (STRONG)心/MIND The general word for the mental sphere of man is xīn 心 "HEART> mind" (ant. xíng 形 "physical shape, body", tǐ 體 "limbs, body").
      • Contrast: (ABLE)功/ACHIEVE Gōng 功 refers to the achievement of something regarded as important to others. See MERIT. [ALTRUISTIC], [IMPORTANT]; [NOUN]
      • Contrast: (STRONG)才 / 材/TALENT The standard word for an unusual promising ability to perform important future tasks of any kind is cái 才／材, and the talents referred to by this word do not need to be of a "higher" kind.
      • Contrast: (STRONG)智 / 知/INTELLIGENT The most general word for native ability to understand is zhī 知 (ant. wú zhī 無知 "lack the ability to understand"), but the word ranges in meaning from spiritual wisdom to technical competence.
      • Contrast: (STRONG)身/BODY Shēn 身 (which also means "person") specifically refers to the main trunk of the body excluding head, arms and legs.
      • Assoc: (STRONG)勇/COURAGE The standard general word for courage is yǒng 勇 (ant. nuò 懦 "pusillanimousness, chicken-liveredness"), which refers to positive boldness evinced in the face of danger or risk. Cf. fortitudo
      • Assoc: (STRONG)武/WARFARE Wǔ 武 "military affairs" (ant. wén 文 "civil affairs") refers not so much to battles and military action, but to the administration of military affairs in general.
      • Assoc: (STRONG)筋/SINEW
      • Oppos: (STRONG)心/MIND The general word for the mental sphere of man is xīn 心 "HEART> mind" (ant. xíng 形 "physical shape, body", tǐ 體 "limbs, body").