劝告

• Pinyin: quàn gào
• Hanzi breakdown: 劝 = 又 + 力 (exert effort to persuade); 告 = 牛 + 口 (ox + mouth — to solemnly declare)

Meaning

To advise; to counsel; to urge someone with sincere concern. As a noun: advice or counsel offered out of genuine care.

More formal and morally weighted than 建议, carrying a sense of urgency or deep concern for the recipient. Often used when the adviser has witnessed repeated risky behaviour. 接受劝告 (accept advice) and 不听劝告 (ignore advice) are common collocations.

Examples

1. 医生再三劝告他戒烟，但他始终没有下定决心。 The doctor repeatedly urged him to quit smoking, but he still couldn’t make up his mind.
2. 她苦口婆心地劝告弟弟远离那些不良朋友，终于让他有所醒悟。 She earnestly advised her younger brother to stay away from bad influences, and finally got through to him.
3. 父母的劝告在年轻时或许难以接受，多年后却常令人深感受益。 Parents’ advice may be hard to accept when you’re young, but years later it often proves deeply valuable.

Usage Guide

Context: health, personal relationships, professional guidance

Tone: sincere

Do Say

• 校长在毕业典礼上语重心长地劝告学生们，无论将来从事何种职业都要诚实守信。(At the graduation ceremony, the principal earnestly advised students to remain honest and trustworthy whatever career they pursued.)
• 朋友的劝告虽然逆耳，但往往是最真诚也最有价值的忠言。(A friend's advice may be hard to hear, but it is often the most sincere and valuable counsel.)

Don't Say

• 我给了他一个劝告 — use 我给了他一条建议 or 我劝告了他; 劝告 as a countable noun does not take 一个 in standard usage

Origin & History

劝 (persuade/encourage) + 告 (inform/tell) — to tell and persuade someone for their own benefit

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal