勸告 / 劝告
quàngào
The English word 'advice' is translated into Chinese as 勸告 / 劝告 (quàngào). Wiktionary also lists 忠告 and 建議 / 建议 (jiànyì).
Meaning: opinion offered to guide behavior (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 勸告 / 劝告 | quàngào |
| 忠告 | |
| 建議 / 建议 | jiànyì |
Chinese offers different words for 'advice' depending on whether you are making a suggestion, giving a serious warning or trying to persuade someone to change their behavior.
Which one should you use?
建議 / 建议 is used for a suggestion or a proposal. It is a lighter, more neutral term. 忠告 is used for serious, earnest or cautionary advice, often given for someone's own good. 勸告 / 劝告 differs from these as it often implies an attempt to persuade or admonish someone to stop a certain behavior or to change their mind.
How do you pronounce it?
quàngào
Did you know?
- The character 勸 in 勸告 can also be used in the word for 'to treat someone to a drink', as both involve persuading someone to do something.
- In Chinese, the word for advice often contains the character 忠, which means 'loyal' or 'faithful'. This suggests that truly valuable advice is not just a suggestion, but a demonstration of one's loyalty to the listener.
- In many professional settings, using 建議 / 建议 is the safest way to offer an opinion without appearing to criticize someone's competence. It frames the advice as a collaborative 'motion' rather than a correction.
Examples in context
- 如果Bob 听从了我的忠告，一切都还应该好好的。If Bob had taken my advice, everything would be all right now.This sentence shows how to use the word 忠告 in the context of following or taking advice.Tatoeba #1704272 by sadhen, translation #30995 by CN
- 他不顧我的忠告。He disregarded my advice.This sentence demonstrates the use of 忠告 when someone ignores advice.Tatoeba #832471 by Martha, translation #303761 by CK
- 他給了她一個忠告。He gave her a piece of advice.This sentence shows how to express giving a piece of advice using 忠告.Tatoeba #805614 by Martha, translation #302672 by CK
- 他的 建议 非常有价值。His advice is very valuable.
- 请听取我的 忠告 ，他可能不是个好人。Please take my advice, he may not be a good person.
- 你有什么好的 建议 吗？Do you have any good advice?
- 我要给你一个诚恳的 劝告 ，不要再犹豫了。I want to give you sincere advice – don't hesitate anymore.
- 值得参考的 建议Advice worth considering
- 真诚的 忠告Sincere advice
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “advice” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
