How to Write 勇 (yǒng) — Meaning “Brave; courageous”

Imagine a strong person with a "勇" symbol on their chest, pushing through a heavy door (甬). The bottom part 力 reminds you of a muscular arm — courage is the strength to push open new paths.

Write the top part 甬 first: start with the left vertical stroke, then the hook, then inner horizontal, then the outer frame. Keep the bottom 力 small and centered below; a common mistake is making the 力 too large or misaligning it to the right.

勇 has 力 at the bottom meaning strength for bravery. 助 has 且 (ancestral table) on the left and 力 on the right, meaning "to help" — the left side is different. 努 has 奴 (slave) on top and 力 below, meaning "to exert" — the top part is 奴, not 甬.

勇 appears in common words like 勇敢 (brave) and 勇气 (courage), used to describe heroic or determined behavior. In Chinese culture, it is one of the key virtues in martial arts and philosophy, emphasizing moral courage rather than just physical strength.

Common words containing 勇 include: 勇敢 (yǒng gǎn) — Brave; courageous; 勇气 (yǒng qì) — Courage; 奋勇 (fèn yǒng) — to pluck up courage / to act bravely.