努力 (nǔlì) — work hard; diligent; effort

努力 (nǔlì)

努力 is a versatile word used as a verb (to work hard), adjective (diligent), or noun (effort). As a verb it often precedes another verb to show the manner of action: 努力学习 (study hard). As a noun it appears after 付出 (put in effort) or 经过 (through effort).

Meanings

1. [v/adj] Work hard; be diligent — exert great effort toward a goal.
2. [n] Effort; hard work — the energy or dedication put into something.

Example Sentences

你要努力学习汉语。 Nǐ yào nǔlì xuéxí Hànyǔ. You need to study Chinese hard.

只要努力，就一定能成功。 Zhǐyào nǔlì, jiù yīdìng néng chénggōng. As long as you work hard, you will definitely succeed.

她很努力，每天都工作到很晚。 Tā hěn nǔlì, měitiān dōu gōngzuò dào hěn wǎn. She is very hardworking; she works late every day.

经过多年努力，他终于实现了梦想。 Jīngguò duō nián nǔlì, tā zhōngyú shíxiàn le mèngxiǎng. After years of hard work, he finally realized his dream.

Collocations

Memory Hook

努 contains 女 (woman) and 力 means "strength" — picture someone pushing forward with all their strength to achieve a goal.