努
Character learning workspace

nǔ · to exert, to strive, to make an effort

Master the form, understand its parts, and learn how it behaves in real Chinese.

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Learn every stroke in 努

Replay the complete order, pause on difficult movements, inspect one stroke at a time, then write it yourself with live correction.

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Stroke graphics: Make Me a Hanzi / Arphic Public License
Step-by-step explorer

See how 努 is constructed

Switch between the accumulated form and the isolated movement of each stroke.

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Writing notes

Shape and proportion

7Total strokes

Count each continuous pen movement once, including turns and hooks.

Top-bottomCharacter structure

Keep the upper section balanced above the lower section.

力Key radical

Use the highlighted radical in the animation as a visual anchor for remembering the form.

Print and practise

Download a 努 writing sheet

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Includes the stroke sequence, progressive tracing, and blank writing squares. Generated locally in your browser.

Read and listen

Example sentences

Notice where 努 sits in each complete thought.

Nǐ zhǐyào nǔ lì jiù kě yǐ le.你只要努力就可以了。

You only have to try hard.

Source: Tatoeba #358971 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ huì nǔ lì bāng nǐ zhǎo dào tā men.我会努力帮你找到他们。

I'll try to find them for you.

Source: Tatoeba #5794142 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Nǐ zhēn shì gè nǔ lì de gōng rén.你真是个努力的工人。

You're really a hard worker.

Source: Tatoeba #6028029 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ men suǒ yǒu de nǔ lì dōu bái fèi le.我们所有的努力都白费了。

All our efforts were in vain.

Source: Tatoeba #349673 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Zài nǔ lì yí xià, nǐ de rén shēng huì chéng gōng de.再努力一下,你的人生会成功的。

One more effort, you will get on in life.

Source: Tatoeba #6075737 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Wǒ men zhēn de gǎn jī tā men de nǔ lì.我们真的感激他们的努力。

We really appreciate their effort.

Source: Tatoeba #5983663 · CC BY 2.0 FR
Turn reference into recall

How to study 努 in context

  1. Say nǔ, then recall the core meaning: to exert, to strive, to make an effort.
  2. Write all 7 strokes while keeping the top-bottom balanced.
  3. Use it in 努力 (nǔ lì), meaning “to make an effort”.
  4. Read the complete sentence aloud once, then cover the translation and explain how 努 works in that context.

Definitions and traditional forms are compiled from Make Me a Hanzi, HSK curriculum data, and CC-CEDICT. Sourced example sentences link to Tatoeba; editorial examples are labeled separately. Review data sources and licenses.