Meaning

Primary

Power

Alternatives

Strength, Ability

Word Type

noun

Explanation

When a vocab word is made up of a single kanji and that's it, it almost always takes the meaning from its parent kanji. So, this vocab word also means power.

Reading

ちから
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

When a vocab is a single kanji and all alone like this, it usually uses the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn the kun'yomi reading with the kanji, so for this vocab word, we'll use a mnemonic:

You're going to need a lot of power if you want to win the chica run (ちから). You know, like a race just for chicas. You'll need the strength to face adversity, and the ability to outclass all the other tough chica runners. That's chica power for you.

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 力がつく

    to gain strength

    力が入る

    to be filled with strength

    力がある

    to be strong

Context Sentences

力の大きさが、ちがう。

The size of the forces is different.

うちではママが大きな力をもってるんですよ。

At my house, my mom has a lot of power.

リラックスしたいのに、どうしても力が入ってしまう。

I want to relax, but I somehow get tense.

Kanji Composition