---
title: "Jili Meaning: 激励 (to motivate) or 吉利 (lucky)?"
description: "激励 (traditional 激勵, jīlì) means “to motivate; to encourage; incentive; motivation”. Not the jili you heard? See 吉利, 极力. Hear its tones, see what 激 and 励 each mean and a real sentence that uses it."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jili"
published: "2026-10-21"
updated: "2026-11-06"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[What does it mean in Chinese?](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning)

# What does 激励 mean?

猫头鹰māotóuyīngowl

激励 jīlì

## to motivate; to encourage; incentive; motivation

## Its characters

1. 激 jī to stir up
2. 励 lì to encourage (as in 鼓励)

## In a sentence

他的话激励了很多年轻人。 His words motivated many young people.

[More about 激励](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%BF%80%E5%8A%B1)

## Other words said jili

- [吉利jílìlucky](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E5%90%89%E5%88%A9)
- [极力jílìto do one's utmost](https://mandarinthewild.com/words/%E6%9E%81%E5%8A%9B)

## More words with 激 or 励

- [刺激 cìjī](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/ciji)
- [感激 gǎnjī](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/ganji)
- [鼓励 gǔlì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/guli)
- [奖励 jiǎnglì](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiangli)
- [激动 jīdòng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jidong)
- [激发 jīfā](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jifa)
- [激光 jīguāng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiguang)
- [激活 jīhuó](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jihuo)
- [激烈 jīliè](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jilie)
- [激情 jīqíng](https://mandarinthewild.com/meaning/jiqing)

## Keep 激励 for Review

A free account keeps it, and Review brings it back just before you’d forget it.

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