What’s the difference between those two and their uses? I know one is a な adjective the other an い adjective, but they’re translation is the same, and any attempt to search for it gave me “both are almost the same…” Any other result is Japanese which I can’t read.
My guess is that 強力, being a な adjective and noun, it’s mostly to say something has strength, is growing in it, or has attained it, like “he will soon be strong like the rest” or “this glue is strong.” The latter, being an い adjective, would be used to directly describe objects as strong, like “the strong wire” or “the strong man.” I could be very wrong though…
3 comments
強い has a more casual and expressive feeling to it, but they mean the same thing.
I think 強い can be used in general and it’s used variously for power, vigor, certainty, the element that you can win others with, and effectiveness,while 強力 is used especially as strong in force, action, or influence.
You can say 彼は強いね as the meaning he’s strong, but can’t say 彼は強力だね.
When you use 強力, I think the subject should be a more specific thing.
Like…
ボクシングの効果(こうか)は強力(きょうりょく)だね。たった１回(いっかい)のレッスンで全身(ぜんしん)筋肉痛(きんにくつう)だよ…
Boxing has a powerful effect. I’m sore all over after just one lesson…
象(ぞう)の鼻(はな)の吸引力(きゅういんりょく)は、想像(そうぞう)以上(いじょう)に強力(きょうりょく)だ。
The suction of an elephant’s nose is more powerful than you expect.
Without trying to harsh on your efforts, don’t learn the English meaning of Japanese words and then try and apply them everywhere where you would use that English word. That’s not how languages work.
There are different words for strong glue, and strong man.
A Japanese person could probably make sense of the weird locution in most cases, but it would require them to do translation in their head.