创立 (chuàng lì) — Chinese Word

verb HSK 5

Traditional 創立

chuàng lì

to establish · to found · to create

Meaning

创立 means to establish or found something new, typically an organization, institution, company, or system. It emphasizes the act of bringing something into existence from the beginning, particularly something formal or significant that has lasting structure.

Usage

This verb is commonly used in formal or written contexts when discussing the founding of businesses, schools, theories, or systems. It carries a sense of pioneering effort and is more formal than 建立 (jiàn lì). Often paired with nouns like 公司 (company), 学校 (school), or 理论 (theory).

Examples

01
他在1998年创立了这家互联网公司。
Tā zài yī jiǔ jiǔ bā nián chuàng lì le zhè jiā hù lián wǎng gōng sī.
He founded this internet company in 1998.
02
孔子创立了儒家学说。
Kǒng zǐ chuàng lì le rú jiā xué shuō.
Confucius established Confucianism.

Characters

Common collocations

创立公司
chuàng lì gōng sī
to found a company
创立品牌
chuàng lì pǐn pái
to establish a brand
创立理论
chuàng lì lǐ lùn
to establish a theory
创立者
chuàng lì zhě
founder

Antonyms

Origin

创 originally meant 'to wound' or 'to cut,' but evolved to mean 'to create' or 'initiate something new.' Combined with 立 (to stand/establish), 创立 emphasizes the founding act of making something stand or exist.