鼓动 gǔdòng to urge
to urge (an activity that may be beneficial, harmful or neutral); to encourage; to agitate; to instigate; to incite; to beat; to flap (wings, a fan etc)
How to remember 鼓动: 鼓 drum + 动 move = to urge.
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How it is used
- To rouse / agitate / stir up (people to act) - 鼓动大家参与 (gǔdòng dàjiā cānyù) to urge everyone to join in.
- Can be neutral-to-positive (encourage, mobilize) or negative (incite, egg on), depending on context.
- Milder than 煽动 (shāndòng, which is firmly negative - to incite trouble); also literally 'to flap' (鼓动翅膀).