Taxonomy of meanings for 勉:　　

  • 勉 miǎn (OC: mronʔ MC: mɯiɛn) 亡辨切 上 廣韻：【勗也勸也強也 】
    • DILIGENT
      • viactbe diligent
    • EFFORT
      • vadVwith every effort, using all one's strength
      • vt[oN]make an intense effort; do one's best
      • vt+prep+Nmake in effort for, work hard towards
      • vt+V[0]strain oneself in VERBING, do one's best to VERB
      • vtoNexert oneself for; do the utmost for
    • ENCOURAGE
      • vtoNencourage
      • vtoNpassivebe encouraged
      • vttoN.+V[0]encourage to V
    • COMPEL
      • SURNAMES
        • = 免

        Additional information about 勉

        說文解字: 【勉】，彊也。 〔小徐本作「強也。」〕 从力、免聲。 【亡辨切】

          Criteria
        • EFFORT

          1. The most general word for physical (and sometimes also mental) effort is perhaps miǎn 勉.

          2. Láo 勞 (ant. yì 逸 "failure to put in an effort, relaxed attitude") emphasises the strenuousness and the tiresome nature of effort, and is the most widely used word.

          3. Lì 力 emphasises the strength needed to make a effort.

          4. Wù 務 emphasises the dutifulness of effort. NB: the meaning "strive to" is separate. See STRIVE FOR.

          5. Qín 勤 refers to an honest and strenuous effort.

          6. Yòng xīn 用心 focusses on concentration and the consciousness of an effort.

          7. The common word jìn 盡 is sometimes used to refer to an all-out effort to do something.

        • DILIGENT

          1. The current word for (typically respectful) meticulous and almost fastidious diligence is jǐn 謹 (ant. màn 慢 "be neglectful").

          2. Shèn 慎 (ant. hū 忽 "be neglectful") "be careful and cautious" emphasises not only careful attention but also wariness of possible danger.

          3. Lì 力 emphasises total devotion of all one's physical and mental effort, and in this meaning the word is normally adverbial.

          4. Qín 勤 (ant. duò 惰 "without proper strenuous and dutiful effort") emphasises dutiful mental effort.

          5. Quàn 勸 focusses on the externally induced enthusiasm with which something is done.

          6. Miǎn 勉 focusses on externally or internally generated extraordinary enthusiasm for a task.

          7. Què 愨 emphasises the moral appropriateness of the diligence in question.

          8. Yuàn 愿 (not to be confused with yuàn 願 "hope") is an elevated rare word referring to respectful diligence of the people.

          9. Jìng 敬 often refers to respectful diligence in action imposed by one's respect rather than to the attitude or the explicit direct show of respect as such.

        • ENCOURAGE

          1. The dominant current word is quàn 勸 (ant. jǔ 沮 "try to stop") which refers to all kinds of encouragement, both from inferiors and from superiors.

          2. Miǎn 勉 focusses on the effort needed in doing what one is encouraged to do.

          3. Qū 驅 "drive on hard" refers to "encouragement" by threat of force from the part of superiors.

          4. Lì 勵 refers to a superior encouraging others to strive hard for the ideals they already have.

          5. Cù 趣 refers to encouraging others to make greater speed in doing what they are already doing or aiming to do.

          6. Jí 急 refers to an urgent request to speed up what one is doing in a concrete way.

          7. Xù 勗 is an elavated archaic word which was quite current in SHANGSHU and reappeared as an archaism in Han times.