How to say "energy" in Mandarin Chinese?

We have 能量Néng liàng、精神 jīng shén、力氣lì qì、活力huó lì、力量lì liàng、能源néng yuán...

1. 能量 (Néngliàng) - Energy:

- 能量 refers to the capacity to do work or produce change. It's an abstract concept often associated with physics, chemistry, or biological systems, encompassing various forms such as kinetic energy, electrical energy, or chemical energy.

2. 精神 (Jīngshén) - Spirit / Mental Energy:

- 精神 typically refers to one's mental state or spirit. It encompasses emotions, willpower, motivation, consciousness, and other aspects of a person's psychological well-being.

3. 力氣 (Lìqì) - Physical Strength / Physical Energy:

- 力氣 refers to physical strength or force, usually associated with the body's ability to exert effort or carry out physical tasks. It's commonly used to describe one's physical capabilities or the effort required to do something.

4. 活力 (Huólì) - Vitality / Vigor:

- 活力 refers to vitality or vigor, often associated with liveliness, energy, or the ability to maintain enthusiasm and activity. It's used to describe the dynamic aspect of living organisms or the liveliness of a situation.

5. 力量 (Lìliàng) - Power / Force:

- 力量 typically refers to power or force, whether physical or metaphorical. It can denote the magnitude or intensity of a force applied to an object, or it can represent influence, authority, or strength in a broader sense.

6. 能源 (Néngyuán) - Energy Source / Energy Supply:

- 能源 refers to energy sources or suppliers, including natural resources such as oil, gas, coal, solar power, wind power, etc. It denotes the raw materials or means by which energy is generated or harnessed for various purposes.

In summary, while all these terms relate to aspects of energy, strength, or vitality, they each have their own specific nuances and contexts in which they are used. "能量" focuses on the capacity for work or change, "精神" emphasizes mental state or spirit, "力氣" refers to physical strength or effort, "活力" conveys vitality or vigor, "力量" denotes power or force, and "能源" refers to energy sources or suppliers.

There is one interesting story when I discuss about "energy" with my student.

I feel I have more 精神 (Jīngshén) but not 力氣 (Lìqì）after drinking a cup of black coffee,

if I would like to have more 精神 (Jīngshén) and 力氣 (Lìqì), I will probably have a cup of Latte not black coffee.

The student told me that she got 精神 (Jīngshén) and 力氣 (Lìqì) after drinking black coffee.

After the first discussion, we were wondering if it's just a personal difference.

We ask our friends and find out that most of Taiwanese native speaker agree with me ( have精神 (Jīngshén) only after drinking black coffee), while most of English native speaker feel they got 精神 (Jīngshén) and 力氣 (Lìqì) after drinking black coffee.

What do you think?

Is this because of the differences between English and Chinese that lead to our varied interpretations of "energy"? Or is it just a coincidence?

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