劝 (quàn) — to urge, to try to persuade
Definition
劝 (quàn) means to urge or try to persuade someone to do (or not do) something — the action of pushing them toward a decision. It overlaps with 劝说 and 劝告 but focuses more on the urging itself than on giving formal advice (忠告, 嘱咐).
verb
to urgeto try to persuade
Examples
- 劝。Wǒ quàn tā bié qù.I urged him not to go.
- 劝，。Mā ma quàn le bàn tiān, tā zhōng yú tóng yì le.Mom urged him for a long time, and he finally agreed.
- 劝。Lǎo shī jīng cháng quàn wǒ men yào hǎo hǎo xué xí.The teacher often urges us to study hard.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 勸; 劝 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
雚
雚guàn勸quàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
The traditional form 勸 pairs 力 (strength) with 雚 as a sound part; the simplified 劝 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical parts.
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