促

cù

亻 + 足

Definitions

cù (verb) to urge; to promote

cù (adjective) urgent; hurried

cù (adjective) close; intimate

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 亻 represents the meaning and 足 represents the sound.

About

促 is a phono-semantic compound, with the standing person radical 亻 (rén) on the left indicating its connection to human actions. The right component, 足 (zú) meaning “foot,” provides the pronunciation while also evoking movement or haste. Together, these elements form the core meaning of urging, hastening, or prompting action.

Etymology Hide

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

促销活动很受欢迎。

Cù xiāo huó dòng hěn shòu huān yíng.

The promotional event is very popular.

妈妈催促我快点起床。

Mā ma cuī cù wǒ kuài diǎn qǐ chuáng.

Mom urged me to get up quickly.

政府采取措施促进经济增长。

Zhèng fǔ cǎi qǔ cuò shī cù jìn jīng jì zēng zhǎng.

The government takes measures to promote economic growth.

这次谈话促使我改变了主意。

Zhè cì tán huà cù shǐ wǒ gǎi biàn le zhǔ yì.

This conversation prompted me to change my mind.

紧张的气氛让人感到局促不安。

Jǐn zhāng de qì fēn ràng rén gǎn dào jú cù bù ān.

The tense atmosphere makes people feel uneasy and restless.

催化剂能显著促进化学反应速度。

Cuī huà jì néng xiǎn zhù cù jìn huà xué fǎn yìng sù dù.

A catalyst can significantly accelerate the speed of a chemical reaction.

两国领导人进行了短暂的促膝长谈。

Liǎng guó lǐng dǎo rén jìn xíng le duǎn zàn de cù xī cháng tán.

The leaders of the two countries had a brief but intimate and lengthy conversation.

这些因素共同促成了公司的成功转型。

Zhè xiē yīn sù gòng tóng cù chéng le gōng sī de chéng gōng zhuǎn xíng.

These factors collectively contributed to the company's successful transformation.

Related Characters

Component: 亻

Component: 足

促