勃 means “sudden rise, break out”

ぼつ · botsu

Also: suddenness, rise

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

おこる, にわかに

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ボツ, ホツ

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

Strength (力) beside 孛, a sprouting top over a child (子): power bursting up out of nowhere. 勃 lives in news of things erupting: 戦争が勃発する is war breaking out, and 勃興 is a sudden rise to power.

Used in 勃発 (boppatsu, outbreak) and 勃興 (bokkou, sudden rise)

More from Grow & Wane

• 展 unfold
• 張 stretch
• 拡 expand
• 盛 heap up
• 興 interest
• 縮 shrink
• 充 fill
• 隆 rise
• 茂 grow thick
• 繁 thriving
• 尽 run out
• 膨 swell

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

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