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勖 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
勖xùto advise; to exhort; to preach tog, 11 strokes, radical 力
勖xùexhortunknown, 11 strokes, radical 力
勖xùstimulateunknown, 11 strokes, radical 力
xù(xu4) T4
  1. 1to advise; to exhort; to preach to
  2. 2exhort
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March 24, 2026

勖xù(xu4)

The character 勖 (xù) means to advise or exhort someone, often in a motivational or encouraging context. It is commonly used when providing guidance or urging someone to take action, particularly in situations that require encouragement or support.

Strokes11Radical力
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, advising and exhorting others is seen as a virtue, especially in the context of family and community. Elders are often respected for their ability to encourage younger generations to strive for success.

Memory Tip

Imagine a wise elder (the radical 勇, which means courage) standing before a group of people, passionately urging them to pursue their dreams. The character 勖 combines the idea of courage and encouragement, making it easy to remember that 'xù' is about advising others to take brave steps forward.

Meanings of 勖

xù(xu4)
1to advise; to exhort; to preach to
2exhort
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 勖

勖Simplified
11Strokes
力Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 勖

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Podcast: 勖

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AI Study Notes for 勖

Quick Contrast

勉 (miǎn) — use 勖 (xù) when the emphasis is on encouraging or motivating someone, while 勉 (miǎn) often implies making an effort or striving despite difficulties.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 勖 with similar characters like 叙 (xù), which means to narrate. It's essential to use 勖 in contexts where encouragement or advice is intended. This character is more formal and may not be suitable for casual conversations.

HSK Study Tips

Although 勖 is not part of any HSK level, it connects well with other verbs related to guidance and support, such as 劝 (quàn, to persuade) and 教 (jiāo, to teach). Focus on understanding its usage in motivational contexts to enhance your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly use 勖 in casual settings where simpler verbs like 劝 would suffice. For example, saying 勖他去学习 (xù tā qù xuéxí) instead of 劝他去学习 (quàn tā qù xuéxí) is incorrect; the latter is more appropriate for informal advice.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 勖

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Etymology of 勖

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

strength

Semantic (meaning)力
+
Phonetic (sound)冒
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 勖

  1. 1The meaning half力 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half冒 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaystrength
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 勖? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 勖?

Decomposition of 勖

IDS Structure⿰冒力
勖Full Character
=
冒mao4
left
力Li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 勖?

How to say to advise; to exhort; to preach to in Chinese

“to advise; to exhort; to preach to” in Chinese is勖xù

The character 勖 (xù) means to advise or exhort someone, often in a motivational or encouraging context. It is commonly used when providing guidance or urging someone to take action, particularly in situations that require encouragement or support.

When to use 勖

Learners often confuse 勖 with similar characters like 叙 (xù), which means to narrate. It's essential to use 勖 in contexts where encouragement or advice is intended. This character is more formal and may not be suitable for casual conversations.

勖 or something close to it

勉 (miǎn) — use 勖 (xù) when the emphasis is on encouraging or motivating someone, while 勉 (miǎn) often implies making an effort or striving despite difficulties.

What learners get wrong

Learners may mistakenly use 勖 in casual settings where simpler verbs like 劝 would suffice. For example, saying 勖他去学习 (xù tā qù xuéxí) instead of 劝他去学习 (quàn tā qù xuéxí) is incorrect; the latter is more appropriate for informal advice.

Write 勖

勖

Practice writing 勖 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 勖

Words Containing This Character1
勖xùexhort
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 勖 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 勖

While both involve advising, 勖 emphasizes encouraging someone to take action, whereas 劝 is more about persuading someone to change their mind.

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