力 lì — power; force; strength
学习需要努力。Xué xí xū yào nǔ lì.Learning requires effort.
Common words: 努力 (nǔ lì)、能力 (néng lì)、力量 (lì liang)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "force"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "force", including 力 (lì), 强 (qiáng), 逼 (bī). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "force" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 力 (lì), 强 (qiáng), 逼 (bī) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span lì, qiáng, bī — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 力 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 力 lìpower; force; strengthUseful words: 努力, 能力
- 强 qiángstrength; force; power; powerful; betterUseful words: 强大, 强烈
- 逼 bīclose to; compel; force; compel; drive; press forUseful words: 逼迫, 逼近
Common words for these 3 "force" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 力 (lì) — so "force" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
努力nǔ lìto make an effort; to try hard; to strive; hard-working能力néng lìcapability; ability力量lì liangpower; force; strength强大qiáng dàbig and strong; formidable; powerful强烈qiáng lièstrong; intense坚强jiān qiángstaunch; strong逼迫bī pòto force; to compel; to coerce逼近bī jìnto press on towards; to close in on; to approach; to draw near逼真bī zhēnlifelike; true to life; distinctly; clearly
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "force".
强 qiáng — strength; force; power; powerful; better
他的身体很强壮。Tā de shēn tǐ hěn qiáng zhuàng.His body is very strong.
Common words: 强大 (qiáng dà)、强烈 (qiáng liè)、坚强 (jiān qiáng)
逼 bī — close to; compel; force; compel; drive; press for
我们不应该逼别人做不愿意的事。Wǒ men bù yīng gāi bī bié ren zuò bú yuàn yì de shì.We should not force others to do what they are unwilling to.
Common words: 逼迫 (bī pò)、逼近 (bī jìn)、逼真 (bī zhēn)
All 3 characters
Open 力、强、逼 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.