power, strength, force

About this kanji

The kanji 「力」 represents the ideas of power, strength, or force. It is commonly used as a noun and can be read as ちから in Japanese. A few popular compounds include 能力 (のうりょく), which means 'ability' and refers to someone's skills or talents; 力士 (りきし), meaning 'sumo wrestler', a person who participates in the traditional Japanese sport; and 力作 (りきさく), which translates to 'great work', often used to refer to a remarkable piece of art or literature. A useful note is that while 力 can imply physical strength, it can also suggest mental or emotional strength in various contexts.

Example sentences

• 彼は力持ちです。

  He is strong.

Meanings across languages

English

power, strength, force

Tiếng Việt

sức mạnh, công suất, năng lực

日本語

力, パワー

한국어

힘, 강도, 포스

中文

力量, 力量, 力

id

kekuatan, daya

th

พลัง, ความแข็งแกร่ง, แรง

es

poder, fuerza, potencia

fr

pouvoir, force, vigueur

de

Macht, Stärke, Kraft

pt

poder, força, força

Common compounds

• 能力のうりょくability, capability
• 力士りきしsumo wrestler
• 力作りきさくgreat work, masterpiece

Words using this kanji

Related articles

• The Kanji for Strength (力 and 強): Power, Readings & Words

  力 (chikara) and 強 (tsuyoi) both express strength in Japanese. Here's what each means, their readings, and the most useful words built from them.