鼓舞 gǔwǔ to inspire
to inspire; to encourage; to hearten; to boost (morale)
How to remember 鼓舞: 鼓 drum + 舞 dance = to inspire.
Characters
How it is used
- To inspire or boost morale - 鼓舞士气 (gǔwǔ shìqì) to lift morale, 令人鼓舞的消息 (lìng rén gǔwǔ de xiāoxi) heartening news.
- Contrast 鼓励 (gǔlì): 鼓励 is to encourage a specific person to do something; 鼓舞 is stirring the spirit/morale of a group, often abstract and one-directional.
- Slightly elevated register; pairs with 士气/人心/精神.
Example sentences
- 那真令人鼓舞。 Nàzhēn lìngréngǔwǔ.That's encouraging.
- 我们有一些令人鼓舞的消息。 Wǒmen yǒu yīxiē lìngréngǔwǔ de xiāoxī.We have some encouraging news.