勉

A phono-semantic compound, consists of:

力 (strength) — semantic component, indicates effort or force;

免 — phonetic component, supplies pronunciation "myeon / miǎn."

Original conceptual image "applying strength to overcome difficulty."

Thus, the character expresses exertion or effort.

Semantic development:

- physical effort;

- mental striving;

- encouragement (urging someone to try harder);

- compulsion (forcing someone to act).

The nuance ranges from voluntary effort to external urging.

면학 (勉學) — diligent study

권면 (勸勉) — encouragement

근면 (勤勉) — diligence

勉 emphasizes:

- conscious effort;

- striving despite difficulty;

- urging or pushing oneself or others.

Related characters:

努 — to exert

勤 — diligent

強 — strong

勸 — to encourage

Among these, 勉 combines effort + urging.

In Classical Chinese, 勉 often appears in exhortative contexts.

勉强 in Modern Chinese has shifted meaning toward “reluctantly” or “barely.”