促 means “urge, prompt”

うながす · unagasu

Also: stimulate, press, demand

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

うながす

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ソク

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 9 strokes

The story

A person (亻) with a foot (足) planted right behind them: picture someone nudging you along. 促す is to prompt or urge, 催促 is pressing for a late payment or reply, and 販促, short for 販売促進, is sales promotion.

Used in 促す (unagasu, to urge/prompt), 催促 (saisoku, pressing/reminder), and 促進 (sokushin, promotion/acceleration)

More from Ask & Persuade

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

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

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