Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Combines 'strength' (力) with 'severe' (厲), representing exerting effort and encouraging.
Symbolism
Symbolizes encouragement, effort, and motivation. Represents giving courage to face difficulties and power to advance.
Component Breakdown
厉 + power
Words & Expressions
Words written with 励
Four-Character Compounds
鼓舞激励
こぶげきれい
encouragement
刻苦勉励
こっくべんれい
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships
叱咤激励
しったげきれい
giving a loud pep talk; encouraging (someone) strongly in a loud voice
精励恪勤
せいれいかっきん
assiduousness; attending diligently to one's study or duties
奮励努力
ふんれいどりょく
making strenuous efforts; exerting oneself
刻苦精励
こっくせいれい
being arduous; working diligently enduring hardships; making a strenuous effort
努力奮励
どりょくふんれい
making strenuous efforts; exerting oneself
励声一番
れいせいいちばん
giving cries of encouragement at a critical moment
励声叱咤
れいせいしった
cries of encouragement; shouting encouragement
Other kanji with the same meaning
“inspire”
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 励 mean in Japanese?
励 means encourage, be diligent, inspire.
How do you read 励?
On'yomi: レイ (REI). Kun'yomi: はげ.む、はげ.ます (hagemu, hagemasu).
How many strokes does 励 have?
励 has 7 strokes. Its radical is 力 (power).
Is 励 a good kanji for a tattoo?
励 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means encourage, be diligent, inspire. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.