勵
surname Li; to encourage; to urge
Closest English meanings
encourage·urge
The Calligrapher — Yán Zhēnqīng 颜真卿
Tang master of robust regular script; co-creator of the enduring 'Yan style'.
Tang calligrapher (709–784), master of regular script/running script — the Tang moral paragon whose upright, muscular regular script became the model of Chinese integrity in writing. Tang dynasty
Cultural Story
The phrase 励精图治 — to govern with sharpened spirit — closes biographies of emperors who meant to set a falling house right. 勵 is the whetstone on will: 鼓勵 the teacher's word, 激勵 the general's banner. The word 勵志 now fronts bookstalls of self-made-millionaire tales, a long way from the throne.
Common words & phrases
- 鼓励 encourage
- 奖励 reward · award
- 激励 motivate · inspire
- 勉励 encourage · exhort
Read the story behind the character
A coach 鼓勵 a shy player; 奖勵 is the sticker a teacher hands out by the dozen. 激勵 trends in a speech clip shared before exams, and 勵勉 closes a principal's letter. The word runs from a bonus paid in the quarter to the quiet “you can” a parent repeats at a child's desk.
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