lik6 tou4力圖力图
Jyutpinglik6 tou4
Yalelihk tòuh
Definition
To try hard to; to strive to achieve a certain outcome.
writtenworkdescriptions
How it's used
This word carries a formal and serious tone, often appearing in news reports, business contexts, or discussions about significant efforts to overcome challenges. It implies a deliberate and persistent struggle against difficult circumstances rather than just casual effort. Because of its weight, it sounds unnatural in everyday small talk about minor tasks like cooking or cleaning.
Examples
He is striving to change the company's culture.
Is it useful for you to try so hard to save this relationship?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general word for trying, but it is much more intense and formal than 試. Using it to describe simple daily activities will make you sound like you are reading a formal document or a newspaper headline.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
