励 (lì) is a Chinese character meaning “to encourage”. It is written from 厉 (stern; severe; sharp) and 力 (strength; power), one enclosing the other, and takes 7 strokes.
Build the character for “to encourage; to urge on”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
厉 + 力
Enclosing structure
Structure from: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–5 与 厉 逐笔对应，笔画 6–7 与 力 逐笔对应）
Memory aid
A stern voice (厉) leaning over you while you put in the effort (力) — that push is what it means to encourage someone.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
7 strokes
In real words
- 鼓励gǔ lìto encourage; to urge someone on励 = lì
- 激励jī lìto motivate; to spur on; incentive励 = lì
- 勉励miǎn lìto encourage; to urge somebody on励 = lì
Go deeper
All readings
to encourage
to encourage; to urge on; to strive
劝勉、鼓舞，也指自己奋发努力。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 鼓励gǔ lìto encourage; to urge someone on励 = lì
- 激励jī lìto motivate; to spur on; incentive励 = lì
- 勉励miǎn lìto encourage; to urge somebody on励 = lì
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 励 mean?
励 (lì) means to encourage; to urge on; to strive.
How do you pronounce 励?
It is pronounced lì.
What parts is 励 made of?
厉 (stern; severe; sharp) and 力 (strength; power), one enclosing the other. The recorded source is: 现代字形拆分（hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 1–5 与 厉 逐笔对应，笔画 6–7 与 力 逐笔对应）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 励 have?
7. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 励?
力. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 励?
Common ones are 鼓励 and 激励. The reading of 励 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.