锻炼

鍛鍊

duànliàn

verb HSK 4 #4,303

Meanings

1 to exercise; to work out
2 to temper; to toughen (oneself)

Characters

to forge (metal)

to smelt; to refine

Forging and refining metal — like tempering your body or skills through exercise.

Examples

他每天早上锻炼身体。

Tā měitiān zǎoshang duànliàn shēntǐ.

He exercises every morning.

多锻炼对健康有好处。

Duō duànliàn duì jiànkāng yǒu hǎochù.

Exercising more is good for health.

这份工作锻炼了我的能力。

Zhè fèn gōngzuò duànliàn le wǒ de nénglì.

This job tempered my abilities.

Tips

memory

Both characters have the metal/fire radical — forging metal in fire. Think of exercise as forging your body into something stronger.

culture

Morning exercise (晨练 chénliàn) is a huge part of Chinese culture. Parks fill up at dawn with people doing tai chi, dancing, or using outdoor fitness equipment.

Stroke Order

锻 duàn

炼 liàn