鼓励 (gǔlì)

鼓励 means to encourage someone, or refers to the act or words of encouragement.

Meanings

[verb] to encourage; to motivate; to inspire
[noun] encouragement; motivation

Example Sentences

老师经常鼓励学生要有自信。 Lǎoshī jīngcháng gǔlì xuéshēng yào yǒu zìxìn. The teacher often encourages students to be confident.

父母的鼓励对孩子非常重要。 Fùmǔ de gǔlì duì háizi fēicháng zhòngyào. Parents' encouragement is very important for children.

谢谢你的鼓励，我会继续努力的。 Xièxie nǐ de gǔlì, wǒ huì jìxù nǔlì de. Thank you for your encouragement; I will keep working hard.

失败的时候，朋友的鼓励让我重新站了起来。 Shībài de shíhòu, péngyou de gǔlì ràng wǒ chóngxīn zhàn le qǐlái. When I failed, my friends' encouragement helped me stand up again.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
给予鼓励 (jǐyǔ gǔlì)	to give encouragement
受到鼓励 (shòudào gǔlì)	to receive encouragement
鼓励学生 (gǔlì xuéshēng)	to encourage students
鼓励与支持 (gǔlì yǔ zhīchí)	encouragement and support

Usage Notes

鼓励 is a positive action word used commonly in educational, family, and workplace contexts. It often pairs with 支持 (zhīchí, support) and contrasts with 批评 (pīpíng, criticize). The structure 鼓励某人做某事 (encourage someone to do something) is a key pattern: 老师鼓励我多说中文 (The teacher encourages me to speak more Chinese).

Memory Hook

鼓 (drum) + 励 (to encourage/strive) — beating a drum to spur people forward, that rhythmic energy is the spirit of encouragement.