HanziGuru.勸 · quàn
勸
quàn[quan4]Tone 4

to advise, to urge, to try to persuade

HSK 5
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劝
Guru Deep Dive

English · to advise, to urge, to try to persuade

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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:18
Writing Balance Rule: The left side (又) is narrower and acts as a supportive modifier, while the right side (雚) is wider and must be carefully balanced with evenly spaced horizontal strokes.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 勸 was simplified by replacing the complex right-side phonetic component 雚 with 又 (yòu) in the simplified variant, greatly reducing the stroke count while preserving phonetic similarity in some dialects.
1. Meaning

to advise or urge someone with good intentions

to try to persuadeto exhortto console or soothe
VerbNeutral#communication#action#advice
Sample Usage
  • 妈妈劝我多吃蔬菜。
    māma quàn wǒ duō chī shūcài.
    Mom advises me to eat more vegetables.
  • 我劝他不要放弃。
    wǒ quàn tā bú yào fàngqì.
    I tried to persuade him not to give up.
2. Sound
/[t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵¹]/Tone: 51
勸
quànquan4
++
`(51)
=quàn
Initial Consonant
q
Type: Aspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: ch sound (palatal affricate)
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Extremely strong burst of breath! Tissue held before mouth MUST fly.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches the hard palate, releasing a burst of air.
Final Rhyme
uan
Vowel Group: -a vowel group
Sounds like: ywan sound (like 'wan' with rounded lips)
Note: Written as 'uan', pronounced as rounded 'üan' [y].
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'üen'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Abbreviated Rhyme Rule: üan is written as üan after q, x, j where the umlaut is omitted.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges instantly, matching an emphatic English command like 'STOP!' or 'NO!'.
👂
Listening trap: Often confused with qǔan or qiu because of the complex -üan final. Ensure you distinctly hear the 'ü' rounded front vowel transitioning into 'n'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, authoritative downward chop of the hand, mimicking a firm piece of advice or warning.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 18 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left side (又) is narrower and acts as a supportive modifier, while the right side (雚) is wider and must be carefully balanced with evenly spaced horizontal strokes.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 勸 was simplified by replacing the complex right-side phonetic component 雚 with 又 (yòu) in the simplified variant, greatly reducing the stroke count while preserving phonetic similarity in some dialects.

4. Components

Radical 又 · right hand radical (again, hand)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 又 (indicates action or hand gesture)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 雚 (original sound: guan / kwan)

A hand (又) repeatedly urging or guiding (雚) someone toward the right path.

  • 又 hand / action
  • 雚 phonetic clue for sound
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally formed by combining a phonetic element indicating sound and a semantic element representing an action or speech.

Semantic Evolution: From the original idea of calling out or urging, it evolved to mean giving counsel, advising, and consoling.

  • Ancient texts used it frequently in political discourse when ministers advised rulers.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
khuyên
The entering/sharp tone corresponds to Vietnamese ngang/sắc tones depending on historical register.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: カン (kan) / Kun: すす.める (susumeru)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
권
Sound Shift Bridge: The qu- initial in Mandarin often maps to k- or ch- in cognate historical borrowings.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You use your **hand** (又) repeatedly to **urge** (劝) your friend to study, pointing at their books with a stern Tone 4 command.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
观
guānto observeUses the see/eye component instead of the hand.
欢
huānjoyfulUses the 'fork' component on the left for happiness.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
权(quán)
权 means power/rights and uses the wood radical (木) on the left instead of 又.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
老師[___]我們要好好學習。
Clue: quàn
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 劝 (quàn - to advise) with 权 (quán - power/right) because of their identical pinyin root and similar shape.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 劝, what action does it represent?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to advise / urge' with pinyin quàn?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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