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努力

Mandarin · pinyin nǔ lì

to make an effort; to try hard; to strive
hard-working; conscientious

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Characters in this entry

努: nǔ · to exert, strive, make an effort; to pout
力: lì · power, capability, influence; Kangxi radical 19

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

3–4 · nu3 li4

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

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Compare dictionary sources Wiktionary · 4 senses · 1 Cantonese reading

Rime Cantonese 粵拼

nou5 lik6

Cantonese word readings for 努力. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

verb

(verb-object) to make an effort; to strive; to endeavor; to work hard

adj

hard-working; diligent; industrious

adv

diligently; hard (with a great deal of effort)

noun

endeavor; ability; effort

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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