KanjiPadKanji for Strength and Power — 力
What 力 means
力 is read chikara on its own and ryoku or riki in compounds. One character covers what English splits into two words: physical strength, and power in the sense of ability, force or influence. 力がある (chikara ga aru) can describe a weightlifter or a politician.
Two strokes make it one of the simplest kanji in the language, and one of the easiest to write badly — the hook at the bottom of the second stroke has to actually hook, or it reads as 刀 (sword). The shape is usually explained as a flexed arm, or as a plough being pushed through soil.
It appears in a large slice of everyday vocabulary: 努力 (doryoku, effort), 協力 (kyōryoku, cooperation), 実力 (jitsuryoku, real ability), 権力 (kenryoku, political power), and 力士 (rikishi), the word for a sumo wrestler — literally a “strength gentleman”.
Readings
- Kun
- ちから
- On
- リョク、リキ、リイ
Stroke order
Write 力 in 2 strokes, following the tiles above in order — top to bottom, left to right.
力 as a tattoo
力 is a popular tattoo precisely because it is short, symmetrical and reads cleanly at any size. The risk is the opposite of the usual one: with only two strokes, small errors are proportionally huge, and a soft or missing hook turns it into a different character. Get the balance right by drawing it on our board before your appointment, and skim the kanji tattoo guide for the font traps that hit simple characters hardest.
Words with 力
- 力force, strength, might
- 力むto strain (oneself), to bear down, to exert oneself
- 勢力influence, power, might
- 努力effort, exertion, endeavour
- 協力cooperation, collaboration, help
- 権力(political) power, authority, influence
Keep exploring
Practice writing 力 stroke by stroke, with spaced repetition and quizzes, in the app.