When you 勉强 yourself to do something, it means you're doing it despite difficulty or a lack of willingness. It's like you're pushing yourself to get it done. For example, if you're not feeling well but still go to work, you could say you're 勉强 working. It implies a sense of reluctance or effort against a challenging situation.
§ What Does 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng) Mean?
Alright, let's break down 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng). This word is super common in daily Chinese, and it can be a bit tricky because it has a few related meanings. At its core, 勉强 is about doing something with difficulty, or even against one's will. Think of it as forcing yourself, or making something work when it's not ideal.
- Definition
- To force oneself to do something; to manage with difficulty; reluctant; barely.
You'll mostly hear 勉强 used as a verb or an adverb. It describes an action that isn't smooth, isn't easy, or isn't done wholeheartedly. It carries a sense of struggle or unwillingness.
§ When to Use 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng)?
Let's look at the main situations where Chinese speakers use 勉强. You'll find it popping up in conversations when people talk about:
- Doing something they don't really want to do.
- Achieving a result that's just barely acceptable.
- Making something fit or work when it's not quite right.
The key idea is 'reluctance' or 'barely managing'. It’s often used to describe a situation where someone is pushing through a challenge, or a result that is not ideal but acceptable.
§ 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng) as 'To Force Oneself' or 'To Do Reluctantly'
This is one of the most common uses. When you use 勉强 this way, you're emphasizing that the action isn't voluntary or easy. You're pushing yourself, or someone else is pushing you.
他身体不舒服，但还是勉强去了上班。
Tā shēntǐ bù shūfú, dàn hái shì miǎnqiǎng qùle shàngbān.
He wasn't feeling well, but he still forced himself to go to work. (Here, it means he went reluctantly, or made an effort despite not feeling well.)
她勉强挤出一个笑容。
Tā miǎnqiǎng jǐ chū yīgè xiàoróng.
She forced out a smile. (Meaning her smile wasn't genuine or easy.)
§ 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng) as 'Barely' or 'Just Managing'
Another common usage is to describe something that just barely meets a standard or is done with great difficulty, almost not succeeding. It implies a narrow margin.
这个箱子太重了，我勉强能搬动。
Zhège xiāngzi tài zhòng le, wǒ miǎnqiǎng néng bāndòng.
This box is too heavy; I can barely move it. (It implies it's really hard, and he might not succeed.)
他勉强通过了考试。
Tā miǎnqiǎng tōngguò le kǎoshì.
He barely passed the exam. (Meaning he passed, but just by a tiny margin, perhaps with a low score.)
So, whether you're talking about forcing yourself to do something unpleasant or just squeaking by a difficult task, 勉强 is your go-to word. It's all about effort against odds, or an outcome that's just good enough. Keep practicing with these examples, and you'll get the hang of it!
Alright, let's get into how to use 勉强 (miǎnqiáng) in real Chinese sentences. This word is super useful for talking about doing something with a bit of effort or reluctance. Pay attention to the examples – they'll show you exactly how it works.
§ 勉强 as a Verb (Force Oneself)
The most common way you'll use 勉强 is as a verb, meaning to 'force oneself to do something' or 'manage with difficulty'. It often implies that the person doesn't really want to do it, or finds it hard.
- DEFINITION
- To force oneself to do something; to do with reluctance or difficulty.
他勉强自己保持微笑。
Tā miǎnqiáng zìjǐ bǎochí wēixiào.
He forced himself to keep smiling. (He didn't really feel like smiling, but did it anyway.)
我勉强同意了他的请求。
Wǒ miǎnqiáng tóngyìle tā de qǐngqiú.
I reluctantly agreed to his request. (I wasn't eager to agree, but I did.)
§ 勉强 with 给 (gěi)
While not a strict grammatical rule, you might sometimes see 勉强 used with 给 (gěi) to emphasize that something is being forced upon someone or something is being given/accepted reluctantly.
他勉强给我一个笑容。
Tā miǎnqiáng gěi wǒ yīgè xiàoróng.
He managed to give me a smile. (It wasn't a natural or happy smile.)
Here, 给 implies a direction (to me) and also highlights the difficulty in producing that smile.
§ 勉强 as an Adverb (Barely, With Difficulty)
勉强 can also act as an adverb, meaning 'barely', 'just manage to', or 'with difficulty'. When used this way, it often precedes a verb or an adjective.
- DEFINITION
- Barely; reluctantly; with difficulty.
他勉强通过了考试。
Tā miǎnqiáng tōngguòle kǎoshì.
He barely passed the exam. (He just scraped by.)
这件衣服我穿上有点小，但是勉强能穿。
Zhè jiàn yīfu wǒ chuān shàng yǒudiǎn xiǎo, dànshì miǎnqiáng néng chuān.
This shirt is a bit small for me, but I can just about wear it. (It's not perfect, but it works.)
§ Common Patterns with 勉强
- 勉强 + Verb: This is the most direct way to use it to describe forcing an action.
- 被 (bèi) + 勉强: To be forced (passive voice).
他被勉强接受了这个任务。
Tā bèi miǎnqiáng jiēshòule zhège rènwu.
He was forced to accept this task. (Someone else made him do it reluctantly.)
Remember, 勉强 always carries a nuance of difficulty, reluctance, or just barely making it. It's not a positive word; it usually implies some kind of struggle or less-than-ideal situation. Practice these sentence structures, and you'll be using 勉强 like a pro in no time.
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Examples by Level
我 勉强 完成 了 作业。
I reluctantly finished my homework.
他 勉强 笑了笑。
He forced a smile.
你 不必 勉强 自己。
You don't have to force yourself.
我 勉强 吃 了 一点儿 饭。
I managed to eat a little bit of food.
她 勉强 同意 了 我 的 请求。
She reluctantly agreed to my request.
我们 勉强 赶上 了 火车。
We barely caught the train.
这个 盒子 太重，我 勉强 拿 得 动。
This box is too heavy, I can barely lift it.
他 勉强 听完 了 我 的 话。
He reluctantly listened to what I said.
Grammar Patterns
Sentence Patterns
Subj. 勉强 + Verb phrase
他勉强笑了笑，但看起来还是很沮丧。 He managed a smile, but still looked very dejected.
勉强 + Verb phrase + 的 + Noun
这是一个我勉强接受的条件。 This is a condition I reluctantly accepted.
Subj. 勉强 + Object (something difficult)
这份工作对她来说有些勉强。 This job is a bit much for her.
勉强 + Adjective/Adverb
他勉强地站了起来，身体有些摇晃。 He reluctantly stood up, his body a bit shaky.
Subj. 勉强 + 把 + Object + Verb
我勉强把这份报告写完了。 I grudgingly finished writing this report.
不要勉强 + Subj. + Verb
不要勉强自己做不喜欢的事情。 Don't force yourself to do things you don't like.
Subj. + 觉得 + 有点 + 勉强
我觉得这个计划有点勉强。 I feel this plan is a bit difficult to achieve.
即使 + 勉强 + Verb, 也...
即使勉强同意了，他心里也不情愿。 Even if he reluctantly agreed, he was unwilling in his heart.
Test Yourself 60 questions
她___吃了一口不喜欢的菜。(She forced herself to eat a bite of the dish she didn't like.)
Here, '勉强' (miǎnqiǎng) means to force oneself to do something. The context suggests she didn't like the food, so she forced herself.
他___笑了笑，虽然心里不开心。(He managed a smile, even though he was unhappy inside.)
In this sentence, '勉强' (miǎnqiǎng) describes managing to do something with difficulty, like smiling when unhappy.
我___起床去上班。(I reluctantly got up to go to work.)
'勉强' (miǎnqiǎng) fits here as it means to force oneself or do something with difficulty, implying a lack of willingness to get up.
他___同意了朋友的请求。(He reluctantly agreed to his friend's request.)
Here, '勉强' (miǎnqiǎng) indicates that he agreed, but not willingly or with some difficulty, which suits the context of reluctantly agreeing.
小狗___吃了一点不喜欢的狗粮。(The puppy reluctantly ate a little of the dog food it didn't like.)
Similar to the first example, '勉强' (miǎnqiǎng) describes the action of forcing oneself to eat something disliked.
虽然很累，我还是___完成了任务。(Although very tired, I still managed to complete the task.)
'勉强' (miǎnqiǎng) is appropriate here to convey that the task was completed with difficulty due to being tired.
Write a short sentence about something you do even if you don't really want to. (E.g., clean your room, study)
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我勉强打扫我的房间。(I reluctantly clean my room.)
Imagine your friend is tired but still goes to work. Write a simple sentence to describe this.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
他勉强去工作。(He reluctantly goes to work.)
Think of something you find a little hard to do, but you still try. Write a short sentence about it.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我勉强学习中文。(I reluctantly study Chinese.)
小明喜欢吃菜吗？(Does Xiao Ming like to eat vegetables?)
Read this passage:
小明不喜欢吃菜，但是他勉强吃了。 (Xiao Ming doesn't like to eat vegetables, but he ate them with difficulty.)
小明喜欢吃菜吗？(Does Xiao Ming like to eat vegetables?)
文章中说“小明不喜欢吃菜”，所以他不喜欢。 (The passage says 'Xiao Ming doesn't like to eat vegetables', so he doesn't like them.)
文章中说“小明不喜欢吃菜”，所以他不喜欢。 (The passage says 'Xiao Ming doesn't like to eat vegetables', so he doesn't like them.)
她想出去跑步吗？ (Does she want to go out for a run?)
Read this passage:
今天天气不好，但是她勉强出去跑步了。(The weather is bad today, but she forced herself to go out for a run.)
她想出去跑步吗？ (Does she want to go out for a run?)
文章中说“她勉强出去跑步了”，说明她不想去。 (The passage says 'she forced herself to go out for a run', indicating she didn't want to.)
文章中说“她勉强出去跑步了”，说明她不想去。 (The passage says 'she forced herself to go out for a run', indicating she didn't want to.)
他现在怎么样？ (How is he now?)
Read this passage:
他很困，但是他勉强看书。(He is very sleepy, but he forces himself to read a book.)
他现在怎么样？ (How is he now?)
文章中说“他很困”，所以他现在很困。 (The passage says 'he is very sleepy', so he is very sleepy now.)
文章中说“他很困”，所以他现在很困。 (The passage says 'he is very sleepy', so he is very sleepy now.)
他___地笑了笑，看起来不太高兴。
Context suggests he's not happy, so '勉强' (reluctantly) fits best.
虽然他不舒服，但还是___去上班了。
'勉强' (force oneself) shows he went despite feeling unwell.
这件衣服太小了，我___才能穿上。
If the clothes are too small, you'd '勉强' (barely manage) to put them on.
她___同意了我的请求，但看得出她不太情愿。
The phrase '不太情愿' (not very willing) indicates '勉强' (reluctantly).
这个任务很困难，他___完成了。
For a difficult task, '勉强' (with difficulty) implies effort.
我们人手不够，只能___应付一下。
'人手不够' (short-handed) means they can only '勉强' (barely cope).
她不舒服，所以___去上班。
The sentence implies she went to work despite not feeling well, which aligns with '勉强' (force oneself to do).
他___笑了笑，但是心里很难过。
A '勉强' smile suggests it wasn't a genuine, happy smile, fitting the context of being sad inside.
这份工作对他来说太难了，他___才能完成。
If the job is too difficult, he would need to '勉强' (manage with difficulty) to complete it.
如果你身体不舒服，就不要勉强自己去工作。
This sentence advises against forcing oneself to work when feeling unwell, which is a correct use of '勉强'.
他很高兴地勉强接受了这份礼物。
'勉强' implies difficulty or reluctance, so being '很高兴地' (very happily) and '勉强' at the same time is contradictory.
虽然他不情愿，但他还是勉强同意了。
This sentence correctly uses '勉强' to describe someone agreeing despite being unwilling.
He reluctantly agreed to our request.
I managed with difficulty to finish a large bowl of noodles.
She was sick, so she forced herself to go to work.
Read this aloud:
即使很累，我也要勉强完成作业。
Focus: 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
他勉强挤出了一个笑容。
Focus: 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng)
You said:
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Read this aloud:
这份工作对他来说有点勉强。
Focus: 勉强 (miǎnqiǎng)
You said:
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This sentence means 'He forced himself to finish the meal.' The structure is Subject + 勉强 + Object (reflexive pronoun '自己') + Verb + Complement.
This sentence means 'Don't force yourself to do things you don't like.' The structure is '不要 勉强 + Object (pronoun '你') + Verb + Object'.
This sentence means 'He's not feeling well but still forces himself to work.' The structure is Subject + Condition + 还 + 勉强 + Verb.
This sentence means 'He reluctantly agreed.' The structure is Subject + 勉强 + Verb + 了.
This means 'I forced myself to finish this meal.' The structure is Subject + 勉强 + Verb + Complement + 了 + Object.
This translates to 'Don't force yourself to do things you don't like.' The pattern is 别 + 勉强 + (reflexive pronoun) + Verb + Object.
她虽然不喜欢这份工作，但为了生计，也只能___接受。
The sentence implies a situation where someone has to do something they don't like for practical reasons. '勉强地' (reluctantly, with difficulty) fits this context perfectly, indicating she forces herself to accept the job.
他___挤出一个笑容，心里却很不舒服。
'勉强' here means to force oneself to do something, in this case, to smile. It suggests the smile was not genuine and required effort, which aligns with the latter part of the sentence indicating discomfort.
会议时间太紧，我们只能___在短时间内完成所有议程。
Given the tight meeting schedule, completing all agenda items in a short time would be challenging. '勉强' implies managing to do something with difficulty, which suits the context of rushing to finish tasks.
尽管身体不适，他还是___自己完成了训练计划。
The phrase '尽管身体不适' (despite feeling unwell) indicates that completing the training plan was difficult. '勉强' (to force oneself) shows he pushed through the discomfort to finish.
这个任务对我来说有些困难，但我会___尝试一下。
If a task is difficult, one might try it with some hesitation or by pushing oneself. '勉强地' (reluctantly, with difficulty) reflects this effort and the challenge involved.
他没有足够的钱买新车，只能___用旧车再开一年。
The lack of money forces him to continue using the old car, implying he's doing so out of necessity rather than desire. '勉强' conveys the sense of doing something with reluctance or difficulty because there's no better option.
她___地笑了笑，表示对这个提议的同意，尽管她心里并不乐意。
这句话描述了一个人在不情愿的情况下做出的行为，'勉强' (mǐanqiǎng) 恰好表达了这种"force oneself to do; manage with difficulty"的含义。
面对领导的压力，他___接受了这个不属于自己职责范围的任务。
在有压力的情况下接受不情愿的任务，'勉强' (mǐanqiǎng) 最能体现出这种"force oneself to do; manage with difficulty"的状态。
虽然身体不适，他还是___自己完成了工作，没有让同事帮忙。
在身体不适的情况下仍坚持完成工作，这表明他是在"force oneself to do; manage with difficulty"。因此，'勉强' (mǐanqiǎng) 是最合适的词语。
他勉强吃下了这顿饭，因为他真的很饿。
如果一个人真的很饿，他会主动且乐意地吃饭，而不是'勉强' (mǐanqiǎng) 地吃。'勉强' 暗示不情愿或困难。
尽管工作非常困难，她还是勉强完成了，没有半途而废。
这句话准确地使用了'勉强' (mǐanqiǎng)，表达了在困难情况下"manage with difficulty"并坚持完成任务的含义。
她勉强同意了我的请求，脸上带着开心的笑容。
'勉强' (mǐanqiǎng) 指的是不情愿或带有困难地做某事，这与"开心的笑容"相矛盾。如果一个人勉强同意，其表情通常不会是开心的。
You're trying to convince a friend to join you for an activity they're not very enthusiastic about. Write a short dialogue where you use 勉强 to describe their reluctance and then your efforts to persuade them.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
A: 我们去爬山吧！ B: 哎，我有点儿不想去，感觉好累啊。 A: 别勉强自己了，就当锻炼身体嘛。再说，山顶的风景很棒的！ B: 真是勉强自己啊，好吧，那就去一趟。
Imagine you had to take on a task at work that you felt unqualified for and struggled to complete. Describe your experience, focusing on how you "勉强" yourself to finish it.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
上周，老板让我负责一个我完全不熟悉的客户项目。说实话，我心里一百个不情愿，觉得这根本不是我擅长的领域。但是没办法，只能勉强自己硬着头皮上了。那几天我几乎天天加班，查资料、请教同事，虽然过程非常艰难，但我最终还是勉强完成了任务，也算是学到了新东西。
You are giving advice to a friend who is forcing themselves to maintain a relationship that isn't working. Write a short paragraph advising them not to "勉强" and to prioritize their own happiness.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我觉得这段感情你真的没必要再勉强了。如果在一起让你感到不快乐，那么继续下去只会让你更痛苦。你应该多为自己考虑，不要为了所谓的“坚持”而委屈自己。有时候，放手也是一种勇敢，去追求真正属于你的幸福吧。
根据这段文字，王明为什么勉强自己做不喜欢的工作？
Read this passage:
王明在一家公司工作，他对自己的专业并不喜欢，但他为了稳定的收入一直勉强自己做这份工作。每天上班，他都感到疲惫和压抑。他的朋友劝他换一个自己喜欢的工作，但他总是说：“现在经济不景气，能有份工作就不错了，勉强一下也挺好。”
根据这段文字，王明为什么勉强自己做不喜欢的工作？
文章明确提到王明是为了“稳定的收入”和认为“现在经济不景气，能有份工作就不错了”而勉强自己。
文章明确提到王明是为了“稳定的收入”和认为“现在经济不景气，能有份工作就不错了”而勉强自己。
李华勉强自己学医的原因是什么？
Read this passage:
李华从小就梦想成为一名画家，但她的父母希望她学医。为了不让父母失望，她勉强去读了医学院。虽然她努力学习，成绩也不错，但内心深处始终觉得这不是她真正想要的生活。毕业后，她终于鼓起勇气，放弃了医生的工作，重新拿起画笔。
李华勉强自己学医的原因是什么？
文章指出李华“为了不让父母失望”而勉强自己去读医学院。
文章指出李华“为了不让父母失望”而勉强自己去读医学院。
小张勉强自己运动的目的是什么？
Read this passage:
小张的身体一直不太好，医生建议他多运动。但他天生不喜欢运动，每次跑步都觉得很累。为了健康，他每天都勉强自己去公园跑几圈。虽然过程很痛苦，但他知道这是为了自己的身体着想。
小张勉强自己运动的目的是什么？
文章明确提到小张“为了健康”而勉强自己去运动。
文章明确提到小张“为了健康”而勉强自己去运动。
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废弃
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恪守
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反常
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充裕
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充沛
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门禁卡
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门禁
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配件
B2Fittings; accessories; spare parts.
