劝

The Chinese character 劝 (quàn) is composed of two parts: 言 (yán) and 犬 (quǎn). 言 means "speech" or "language", while 犬 means "dog". Together, they form the character 劝, which means "to persuade" or "to advise".The original meaning of 劝 was "to call a dog". In ancient China, dogs were used for hunting and guarding. When people wanted to call their dogs, they would make a sound like "quàn". Over time, this sound became associated with the idea of persuasion or advice. This is because, when people want to persuade or advise someone, they often use words that are gentle and soothing, like the sound of calling a dog.The character 劝 is also used in the sense of "to encourage". This is because, when people are encouraged, they are often given words of advice or support. In this sense, 劝 is similar to the English word "cheer".The character 劝 is a common character in Chinese. It is used in a variety of contexts, both formal and informal. It is a useful character to know for anyone who wants to communicate effectively in Chinese.