勇

Alternative forms

Note that in Japanese and Korean, the character is written 龴+田+力, as found in the Kangxi dictionary. In traditional Chinese (Hong Kong and Taiwan) and Vietnamese script, the character is written 龴+用+力. In modern simplified Chinese, the character is written similar to the traditional Chinese form but the lower right hook of 用 is missing.

Han character

勇 (Kangxi radical 19, 力+7, 9 strokes, cangjie input 弓月大尸 (NBKS), four-corner 1742₇, composition ⿱甬力(GHTV) or ⿱龴男(JK))

Glyph origin

More information Historical forms of the character 勇, Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) ...

Historical forms of the character 勇
Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)
Small seal script

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Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *loŋʔ) : phonetic 甬 (OC *loŋʔ) + semantic 力 (“strong”) – brave and strong.

Pronunciation

Definitions

勇

1. brave; courageous; valiant

   勇敢  ―  yǒnggǎn  ―  brave

   • 民勇於公戰，怯於私鬥，鄉邑大治。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     民勇于公战，怯于私斗，乡邑大治。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Mín yǒng yú gōngzhàn, qiè yú sīdòu, xiāng yì dàzhì. [Pinyin]

     The people were brave in the state's military campaigns, and fearful in private disputes; the villages and the towns were both governed well.

2. ^† courage; bravery; valor

   • 見義不為，無勇也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     见义不为，无勇也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Jiàn yì bù wéi, wú yǒng yě. [Pinyin]

     To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage.

   • 勇，志之所以敢也。 [Classical Chinese, trad. and simp.]

     From: Mozi, c. 4^th century BCE

     Yǒng, zhì zhī suǒyǐ gǎn yě. [Pinyin]

     Courage is that by which intent is daring.

3. ^† soldier
4. (Hokkien) strong
5. (Hokkien) healthy
6. (Hokkien) sturdy; durable
7. a surname

Compounds

References

• “勇”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–