How to Write 勖 (xù) — Meaning “to encourage; to exhort”

Imagine the sun (日) shining down on a person who needs to use their strength (力) to keep going. Picture a coach saying 'You can do it!' under the bright sun. The sun gives energy, and 力 is the effort — together they mean encouragement.

The top part 日 must be slightly narrower than the bottom 力, and the horizontal stroke of 力 should extend to the right to balance the character. A common mistake is making 日 too wide or writing 力 too small, which makes the character look unbalanced. The stroke order is: vertical, horizontal fold, horizontal, then for 力: horizontal hook, left-falling stroke.

勖 (xù) means 'to encourage' and focuses on verbal exhortation, while 勃 (bó) means 'suddenly' or 'vigorous' and is used in words like 蓬勃 (prosperous). 勇 (yǒng) means 'brave' and describes a personality trait, not an action. Visually, 勖 has sun on top, 勃 has 孛 (star) on top, and 勇 has 甬 (a phonetic component) with 力.

勖 is a literary or formal character rarely used in daily conversation, but it appears in written Chinese, especially in idioms or classical texts. It is most common in the word 勖勉 (xù miǎn), meaning 'to encourage', often used in academic or inspirational writing. You might see it in motivational essays or historical documents, but it is not suitable for casual speech.

Common words containing 勖 include: 勖勉 (xù miǎn) — to encourage; to exhort; 勖励 (xù lì) — to encourage and urge; 勖哉 (xù zāi) — Exert yourself!; Work hard! (archaic).