力量

• Pinyin: lì liàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 力 = pictograph of a plough or arm, meaning strength; 量 = 日 (sun) + 一 + 里 (village), originally meaning to measure

Meaning

Strength; power; force. A slightly more formal or emphatic word for strength or power.

More emphatic and literary than 力气 (physical strength). Used for both physical power and abstract strength — the power of unity, knowledge, love, or the people. Very common in motivational speech, news, and writing. 力量 carries a grander connotation than 力 alone.

Examples

1. 团结就是力量。 Unity is strength.
2. 他每天锻炼，力量越来越大。 He exercises every day, and his strength is growing.
3. 知识的力量是无穷的。 The power of knowledge is limitless.

Usage Guide

Context: motivation, news, sports

Tone: powerful

Do Say

• 爱是最大的力量。(Love is the greatest power.)
• 我们要相信自己的力量。(We must believe in our own strength.)

Don't Say

• 我没有力量拿这个杯子。(For casual daily tasks, use 力气 instead of 力量 — 力量 sounds too grand for lifting a cup. Say 我没有力气拿这个杯子.)

Origin & History

力 means force or strength; 量 means measure or amount. Together: a measurable amount of strength — substantial power.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal