力

Power Radical (力)

lì · 2 strokes

The power radical (力) is a frequently seen radical in Chinese. It appears in 23 characters related to power and associated concepts. 23 characters: 1 in HSK 2, 6 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 4 in HSK 5, 3 in HSK 6, 6 in HSK 7-9. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system. Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (CLEC 2022 syllabus).

Radical vs. Component: 力 is also a character component. As a radical, it classifies characters in dictionaries. As a component, it appears as a building block contributing meaning, sound, or structure. For component-specific details including role analysis and position patterns, see the Power Component (力) page.

Power Radical at a Glance

Stroke Count2
Total Characters23
Most Common HSK LevelHSK 3 (6 characters)
Avg. Character Strokes7
ClassificationKangxi Radicals

All Power Radical Characters

HSK 2 (1 characters)

动dòng(of sth) to move

HSK 3 (6 characters)

务wùaffair助zhùto help加jiāCanada (abbr. for 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4])办bànto take care of (a matter)力lìpower努nǔto exert

HSK 4 (3 characters)

功gōngmeritorious deed or service勇yǒngbrave励lìto encourage

HSK 5 (4 characters)

劝quànto advise勤qíndiligent势shìpower劳láo(bound form) to toil

HSK 6 (3 characters)

劣lièinferior劲jìnstrength勉miǎnto exhort

HSK 7-9 (6 characters)

勃bóflourishing劫jiéto rob勘kānto investigate勒lè(literary) bridle募mùto canvass for contributions勋xūn(bound form) meritorious accomplishment

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the power radical mean in Chinese characters?
The power radical (力) signals a semantic connection to power-related concepts. When you see 力 in a character, it typically indicates the character's meaning involves power or associated ideas. With 23 characters using this radical, it is one of the more productive radicals in Chinese. Radical classifications follow the Kangxi radical system, the traditional standard for organizing Chinese characters.
How many characters use the power radical?
There are 23 characters with the power radical (力) in the HSK 3.0 character set (CLEC 2022 syllabus): 1 in HSK 2, 6 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 4 in HSK 5, 3 in HSK 6, 6 in HSK 7-9. The distribution across HSK levels reflects how fundamental power-related concepts are at each stage of Mandarin learning.
What are the most common power radical characters?
By frequency of use, the most common characters with the power radical (力) are: 动 (dòng, "(of sth) to move"), 力 (lì, "power"), 加 (jiā, "Canada (abbr. for 加拿大[Jia1 na2 da4])"), 务 (wù, "affair"), 办 (bàn, "to take care of (a matter)"). These high-frequency characters are among the first power-related characters most learners encounter.
What HSK levels include power radical characters?
Characters with the power radical (力) appear across 6 HSK levels: 1 in HSK 2, 6 in HSK 3, 3 in HSK 4, 4 in HSK 5, 3 in HSK 6, 6 in HSK 7-9. The largest concentration is at HSK 3 with 6 characters. Earlier HSK levels introduce the most common power-related characters, while advanced levels add specialized or literary terms.

Sources & Standards

Radical classifications on this page follow the Kangxi radical system (康熙部首), the standard set of 214 radicals codified in the Kangxi Dictionary (康熙字典, 1716). Character data is based on the HSK 3.0 Standard (《国际中文教育中文水平等级标准》), published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2022 revision.