励 means “encourage, strive”

はげます · hagemasu

Also: be diligent, inspire

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

はげむ, はげます

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

レイ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 7 strokes

The story

Strength (力) beside 万, ten thousand, under a cliff (厂): picture ten thousand voices cheering a climber up the rock. 励ます is to encourage, 励む to throw yourself into work, and 激励 the rousing send-off before a big game.

Used in 励ます (hagemasu, to encourage), 励む (hagemu, to strive), and 激励 (gekirei, encouragement)

More from Ask & Persuade

• 奨 encourage
• 諾 consent
• 嘱 entrust
• 乞 beg
• 応 respond
• 請 request
• 迫 close in
• 誘 invite
• 促 urge
• 勧 advise
• 薦 recommend

Learn 励 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.