马力

• Pinyin: mǎ lì
• Hanzi breakdown: 马 = pictograph of a horse; 力 = pictograph of a flexed arm/muscle, representing strength

Meaning

Horsepower (HP); a unit of power measuring engine output. Colloquially used to mean 'full effort' or 'at full capacity' in the phrase 开足马力.

In technical contexts, refers to engine output in HP. In everyday speech, 开足马力 (run at full horsepower) is a common idiom meaning to work at maximum effort or capacity, widely used in industry and motivational contexts.

Examples

1. 这款新型跑车配备了一台输出功率达七百马力的涡轮增压发动机，百公里加速仅需三秒。 This new sports car is equipped with a turbocharged engine producing 700 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just three seconds.
2. 为了赶上交付期限，整个团队开足马力，连续奋战了两个星期。 To meet the delivery deadline, the whole team went full throttle and worked nonstop for two weeks.
3. 工厂在接到大批订单后立即开足马力生产，以确保按时完成交货任务。 After receiving a large batch of orders, the factory immediately went into full production to ensure on-time delivery.

Usage Guide

Context: engineering, automotive, industry, colloquial

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该发动机标称输出功率为五百马力，但在实际路况中，受驾驶条件和油耗限制，有效输出通常低于这一数值。(The engine has a rated output of 500 horsepower, but under real road conditions the effective output is usually lower due to driving conditions and fuel consumption constraints.)
• 新生产线安装调试完毕后，工厂立即开足马力运转，力求在季度末前完成所有积压订单。(After the new production line was installed and commissioned, the factory immediately ran at full capacity, striving to complete all backlogged orders before the end of the quarter.)

Don't Say

• 将马力与千瓦混用而不注明换算关系 — 马力 (HP) and 千瓦 (kW) are both units of power but not interchangeable without conversion; 1 HP ≈ 0.746 kW — always specify the unit clearly in technical writing

Origin & History

马 (horse) + 力 (force/power) — a calque of the English 'horsepower,' originally defined by James Watt as the power output of a horse

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal