促 cù to urge
to urge; to rush; to hurry; close
怎么记住“促”: 亻 person + 足 foot = to urge. Late for the train, the person in front taps his foot and waves at his slow family, trying to urge them.
部件结构
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
促 = 亻 person + 足 foot
- 亻 person meaning
- 足 foot sound
Late for the train, the person in front taps his foot and waves at his slow family, trying to urge them.
How it came to be
The person gives the meaning and the sign for foot the sound.
用法
- Bound morpheme meaning "to push forward/hurry". It almost never stands alone as a verb.
- Its main job is a verb prefix in formal/written compounds: 促进 cùjìn "to promote/foster" (促进经济发展 cùjìn jīngjì fāzhǎn, "promote economic development"), 促使 cùshǐ "to prompt/bring about", 促成 cùchéng "to bring about (a deal)".
- 催促 cuīcù "to urge/press someone" pairs it with 催 cuī, its close synonym for hurrying people along.
- 急促 jícù describes a rapid, urgent rhythm (breathing, footsteps), while 仓促 cāngcù means "hastily, without preparation": a mild negative, like doing something rushed and sloppy.
- Common in news and business writing; rare in casual speech.