修炼

修煉
xiūliàn
verb #28,045

Meanings

  1. 1 to practice austerities
  2. 2 to cultivate (Taoist/Buddhist spiritual practice)
  3. 3 to train and refine oneself

Examples

Dàoshi zài shān zhōng xiūliàn, qiánxīn wùdào.
The Taoist monk practiced austerities in the mountains, devoting himself to understanding the Way.
Tā bǎ xuéxí yǔyán dàngzuò yī zhǒng xīnlíng xiūliàn.
He treats language learning as a form of spiritual cultivation.

Tips

culture
修炼 is rooted in Taoist and Buddhist cultivation practices — the disciplined path toward spiritual attainment or immortality. In modern usage it has expanded metaphorically to describe any long-term, disciplined self-improvement process.

Stroke Order

xiū
liàn