Definition
鼓励 (gǔ lì) is the everyday, positive verb for 'to encourage' — giving someone support or confidence. 激励 (jī lì) is more formal and emphasizes motivation or inspiration; 鼓舞 (gǔ wǔ) often means 'to inspire, boost morale' and can be an adjective. Be careful with 怂恿 (sǒng yǒng), which has a negative connotation of inciting someone to do something wrong.
verb
to encourage
Easily confused
- 孤立gū lìsound-alike(adjective) isolated, lonely
Examples
- 鼓励。Māma chángcháng gǔ lì wǒ nǔlì xuéxí.My mother often encourages me to study hard.
- 鼓励。Dàjiā yīnggāi hùxiāng gǔ lì.Everyone should encourage each other.
- 鼓励。Tā de gǔ lì ràng wǒ hěn gǎndòng.His encouragement moved me deeply.
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