The Meaning of chikara [力] In Japanese

力
ちから
Romaji: chikara N5

What does 力 mean?

Translation and Meaning

power, strength, force, ability

Definition

The kanji 力 answers the question “What does 力 mean?” by denoting power or the capacity to exert force; it refers to physical strength, the ability to perform work, and by extension personal capability or influence in practical situations.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • bodily muscle or athletic capability used in everyday descriptions of someone’s physical condition or prowess
  • individual competence or skill when discussing someone’s ability to perform tasks or roles
  • exertion or applied effort, describing the act of putting energy into an action
  • social, political, or economic influence—ability to affect outcomes beyond pure muscle
  • a technical sense of force or power in scientific and engineering contexts

Origin

The spoken word ちから existed in Old Japanese; the logographic character was taken from Chinese writing during the early centuries of kanji adoption (roughly the Kofun–Asuka periods) and became integrated into classical and later Japanese texts for both everyday and technical vocabulary.

Composition

The character 力 (chikara) is a simple pictographic form whose strokes historically evoke a stylized arm or muscle and functions as an independent kanji and as a radical in other characters; its compact shape makes it a common building block in compounds denoting force or effort.

Usage

Used widely in casual and formal speech as a standalone noun to refer to someone’s strength or capability, it also appears inside compound words to modify meaning toward power or capacity and is common in scientific, political, and literary contexts; appropriate across registers, context determines whether it means literal muscular force, personal ability, applied effort, or abstract influence.
💡 Tips
Visualize 力 (chikara) as a bent arm: the short top stroke is the shoulder, the long stroke is the arm, and the bottom hook is the hand—think “chika-RA!” flexing to remember ‘strength’.

Variations

  • 強さ (tsuyosa) — strength, emphasis on degree of strength
  • 能力 (nōryoku) — ability, capacity
  • 勢力 (seiryoku) — influence, political or organizational power
  • 努力 (doryoku) — effort, focused exertion (related but emphasizes work)
  • 弱さ (yowasa) — weakness (antonym)

Example Phrases

  • 毎日の 練習 で 向上 を 感じられる よう 努力 している
    Mainichi no renshuu de koujou o kanjirareru you doryoku shite iru
    I’m working hard so that I can feel improvement in my daily practice.
    Lista:
    • 毎日の (mainichi no) – daily
    • 練習 (renshuu) – practice
    • で (de) – at / in
    • 向上 (koujou) – improvement
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 感じられる (kanjirareru) – can feel
    • よう (you) – so that / in order to
    • 努力 (doryoku) – effort
    • している (shiteiru) – am doing
    The noun 「向上」 means improvement, and the phrase 「よう」 expresses a goal or aim (here: to feel improvement).
  • 学校の 掲示板には 暴力 の 防止 が 書かれている。
    Gakkō no keijiban ni wa bōryoku no bōshi ga kakarete iru.
    The school bulletin board has information on violence prevention.
    Lista:
    • 学校の (Gakkō no) – school’s
    • 掲示板には (keijiban ni wa) – on the bulletin board
    • 暴力 (bōryoku) – violence
    • の (no) – of
    • 防止 (bōshi) – prevention
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 書かれている (kakarete iru) – is written
    Uses the noun 「暴力」; combined with の to form 「暴力の防止」 meaning ‘prevention of violence’; the particle 「には」 marks topic/location.
  • 願いを 叶えるために 今日も 小さな 努力を 重ねる。
    Negai o kanaeru tame ni kyou mo chiisana doryoku o kasaneru.
    Today as well, I’m continuing small efforts to make my wish come true.
    Lista:
    • 願いを (negai o) – the wish
    • 叶えるために (kanaeru tame ni) – to fulfill
    • 今日も (kyou mo) – today as well
    • 小さな (chiisana) – small
    • 努力を (doryoku o) – effort
    • 重ねる (kasaneru) – to accumulate
    The noun 「願い」 means ‘wish’; here it is the object of 叶える; combined with 「ために」 to express purpose.
  • 職場で 最近 新しい 勢力 が 静かに 台頭してきた。
    Shokuba de saikin atarashii seiryoku ga shizuka ni taitou shite kita.
    A new influence has quietly risen at work.
    Lista:
    • 職場で (shokuba de) – at work
    • 最近 (saikin) – recently
    • 新しい (atarashii) – new
    • 勢力 (seiryoku) – influence
    • 静かに (shizuka ni) – quietly
    • 台頭してきた (taitou shite kita) – has emerged
    「勢力」は影響力を指す名詞で、ここでは主語として台頭してきたことを示す。
  • 私は 善を 行う ために 毎日 努力している。
    Watashi wa zen o okonau tame ni mainichi doryoku shite iru.
    I am making an effort every day to do good.
    Lista:
    • 私は (Watashi wa) – I
    • 善を (zen o) – to do good
    • 行う (okonau) – to perform / do
    • ために (tame ni) – for the purpose of
    • 毎日 (mainichi) – every day
    • 努力している (doryoku shite iru) – am making an effort
    This uses 「善」 as a noun meaning ‘goodness’, marked by を in 善を行う to mean ‘do good’.
力