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劢 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
劢màito put forth effort, to strive forg, 5 strokes, radical 力
劢màiput forth effortunknown, 5 strokes, radical 力
mài(mai4) T4
  1. 1to put forth effort, to strive for
  2. 2put forth effort
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

劢(勱)mài(mai4)

The character 劢 (mài) refers to the act of exerting effort or striving towards a goal. It is often used in contexts related to hard work, determination, and persistence in achieving objectives. This character embodies the essence of putting forth sustained effort in various aspects of life, such as education and career.

Strokes5Radical力
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the value of hard work is deeply ingrained, often emphasized in educational and professional settings. The character 劢 reflects this cultural attitude towards diligence and perseverance.

Memory Tip

Imagine 劢 as a person (人) pushing a heavy object (力) forward, symbolizing the effort (力) required to make progress. The radical 力 (strength) highlights the idea of using physical or mental strength to strive, helping you remember that 劢 is all about putting in the work.

Meanings of 劢

mài(mai4)
1to put forth effort, to strive for
2put forth effort
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 劢

劢Simplified
勱Traditional
5Strokes
力Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 劢

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Podcast: 劢

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AI Study Notes for 劢

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 劢 with similar characters like 努 (nǔ), which also means to strive but with a different connotation. 劢 is more about effort put towards a specific goal. It's generally used in informal contexts, often in motivational phrases.

HSK Study Tips

Though 劢 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with the theme of effort in HSK Level 3 words like 努力 (nǔlì, to make an effort). Students should focus on understanding the concept of effort and how it relates to personal goals.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 劢 with 向 (xiàng) which means to face or direct towards something. For example, saying '我向努力' (wǒ xiàng nǔlì) is incorrect; the correct phrase is '我努力' (wǒ nǔlì), meaning 'I strive/put in effort.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 劢

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Etymology of 劢

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

strength

Semantic (meaning)力
+
Phonetic (sound)万
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 劢

  1. 1The meaning half力 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half万 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaystrength
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 劢? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 劢?

Decomposition of 劢

IDS Structure⿰万力
劢Full Character
=
万Mo4
left
力Li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 劢?

How to say to put forth effort, to strive for in Chinese

“to put forth effort, to strive for” in Chinese is劢mài

The character 劢 (mài) refers to the act of exerting effort or striving towards a goal. It is often used in contexts related to hard work, determination, and persistence in achieving objectives. This character embodies the essence of putting forth sustained effort in various aspects of life, such as education and career.

When to use 劢

Common mistakes include confusing 劢 with similar characters like 努 (nǔ), which also means to strive but with a different connotation. 劢 is more about effort put towards a specific goal. It's generally used in informal contexts, often in motivational phrases.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 劢 with 向 (xiàng) which means to face or direct towards something. For example, saying '我向努力' (wǒ xiàng nǔlì) is incorrect; the correct phrase is '我努力' (wǒ nǔlì), meaning 'I strive/put in effort.'

Write 劢

劢

Practice writing 劢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 劢

Words Containing This Character1
劢màiput forth effort勱
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 劢 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 劢

It is pronounced as 'mài'.

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