促 meaning and stroke order
To urge, to rush, to hurry; hasty; near, close
How to write 促, stroke by stroke
9 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 促
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (bound form) of short duration; hasty; rapid
- (bound form) to hasten; to hurry; to urge
- (literary) close by; pressed against
How 促 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Someone 亻 on your heels 足; 足 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 促
Picture a person 亻 right on your heels 足 (zú, foot), pushing you to hurry up. That pressure from someone close behind is 促 (cù): to urge, to rush, to be close.
促 almost never stands alone in modern Chinese. It appears in words like 促进 (cùjìn, to promote), 促使 (cùshǐ, to prompt) and 仓促 (cāngcù, hurriedly). Example: 运动可以促进健康。(Yùndòng kěyǐ cùjìn jiànkāng.) Exercise can promote good health.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 促 (cù) with 捉 (zhuō, to catch), which has the hand radical 扌 instead of the person radical 亻. Also note that 足 gives the sound hint but the reading is cù with a fourth tone, not zú.
Common words with 促
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 促进 | cùjìn | to promote (an idea or cause); to advance; boost | HSK 4 |
| 促使 | cùshǐ | to prompt; to induce; to spur | HSK 4 |
| 促销 | cùxiāo | to promote sales | HSK 4 |
| 促成 | cùchéng | to facilitate; to help bring about | HSK 7-9 |
| 催促 | cuīcù | to urge | HSK 7-9 |
| 敦促 | dūncù | to press; to urge | HSK 7-9 |
| 督促 | dūcù | to supervise and urge completion of a task; to urge on | HSK 7-9 |
| 仓促 | cāngcù | all of a sudden; hurriedly | |
| 急促 | jícù | urgent; hurried and brief |
促 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 促
How many strokes are in 促?
促 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 促 mean?
促 (cù) means to urge, to rush, to hurry; hasty; near, close. A common word with it is 促进 (cùjìn), meaning "to promote (an idea or cause); to advance; boost".
How do you pronounce 促?
促 is pronounced cù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 促?
The radical of 促 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 促 under this radical.
Is 促 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 促 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 催促 (cuīcù) and 督促 (dūcù)?
催促 means to urge someone to hurry, often about time, like nagging someone to leave. 督促 means to supervise and keep pushing someone to finish a task, so it suggests oversight, as a teacher or boss would do.
What does 促销 (cùxiāo) mean in shops?
促销 means a sales promotion, such as discounts or special offers. You will see signs like 促销活动 (cùxiāo huódòng, promotional event) in supermarkets and online stores.