敦促

• Pinyin: dūn cù
• Hanzi breakdown: 敦 = 享 (offer) + 攴 (tap/strike lightly) — to encourage with sincerity; 促 = 人 (person) + 足 (foot) — to prod someone to move their feet

Meaning

To urge earnestly; to press someone to take action, often used in official or diplomatic contexts where one party exerts formal pressure on another.

A formal diplomatic and administrative term. 敦促 implies respectful but firm insistence: 敦促对方履约 (urge the other party to fulfil the contract), 敦促有关部门整改 (urge the relevant departments to rectify). Frequently appears in government statements, UN resolutions, and corporate compliance notices. More forceful than 催促 (to urge/hurry) but less threatening than 施压 (to apply pressure).

Examples

1. 联合国安理会发表声明，敦促交战各方立即停火，返回谈判桌。 The UN Security Council issued a statement urging all parties to the conflict to cease fire immediately and return to the negotiating table.
2. 监管机构敦促相关企业在规定期限内完成整改，否则将依法处罚。 Regulators urged the relevant companies to complete corrective actions within the required timeframe, or they will be penalized in accordance with the law.
3. 家长委员会多次敦促学校改善午餐质量，引起了校方的重视。 The parents’ committee repeatedly urged the school to improve lunch quality, drawing the administration’s attention.

Usage Guide

Context: diplomacy, government, regulation, advocacy

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 外交部发言人在记者会上敦促有关国家尊重国际法，停止单边主义行动。(The Foreign Ministry spokesperson at the press conference urged the countries concerned to respect international law and cease unilateral actions.)
• 审计部门在报告中敦促被审计单位对发现的财务违规问题进行彻底整改。(The audit department urged the audited entity in its report to carry out thorough rectification of the financial irregularities identified.)

Don't Say

• 妈妈敦促我快点吃饭 — 敦促 is too formal and diplomatic for household use; say 妈妈催我快点吃饭 or 妈妈让我赶快吃饭

Origin & History

敦 (sincere/earnest/thick — implying moral weight) + 促 (to urge/hasten) — to urge with earnest moral gravity

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal