促 cù to urge
to urge; to rush; to hurry; close
How to remember 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.
Component breakdown
促 = 亻 person + 足 foot
- 亻 person
- 足 foot
Late for the train, the person in front taps his foot and waves at his slow family, trying to urge them.
How it is used
- 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.