规劝 (guī quàn) — (verb) to admonish, to advise (earnestly); (noun) admonition, earnest advice

Definition

规劝 means to earnestly and repeatedly advise someone to do (or not do) something — stronger and more insistent than a simple 劝. Used for heartfelt, sometimes repeated counsel, not casual suggestions.

verb
to admonishto advise (earnestly)
noun
admonitionearnest advice

Examples

  • 规劝。
    Lǎo shī jīng cháng guī quàn xué shēng yào nǔ lì xué xí.
    The teacher often advises students to study hard.
  • 规劝。
    Tā de guī quàn ràng wǒ hěn gǎn dòng.
    His earnest advice moved me deeply.
  • 规劝。
    Péng you zài sān guī quàn tā bié fàng qì.
    Friends repeatedly advised him not to give up.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

规guīadvise
劝quànurge

"规" and "劝" both carry the sense of earnest advising, so together they mean to admonish.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 規; 规 is its simplified writing.

  • 夫夫fūhusband
  • 見見jiànsee

The simplified 规 is a shorthand; the traditional form 規 shows a cross-shaped compass in its early drawing, and its later form uses 夫 and 見.

Open 规 →

Most 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
力力lìstrength
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.

Open 劝 →

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