勃 (bó) · thriving, vigorous, suddenly (in compounds)

Meanings

1 thriving
2 vigorous
3 suddenly (in compounds)

Characters

勃

bó

thriving; vigorous; suddenly

Examples

HSK 7-9

公司发展蓬勃。

Gōngsī fāzhǎn péngbó.

The company is developing vigorously.

HSK 7-9

他勃然大怒。

Tā bórán-dànù.

He suddenly flew into a rage.

Tips

usage

勃 is rarely used alone. Common compounds: 蓬勃 (vigorous/thriving), 勃然 (suddenly/agitatedly), 勃勃 (exuberant, as in 生机勃勃, 'full of vitality').

Components

radical

力 lì

strength

Right strength radical, the indexing component (Kangxi 19). Pictures a flexed arm or plough. In 勃 it adds force to the 'sudden flourish' of 孛, giving 'vigorously arising, bursting forth.' Same radical anchors 力, 努 (effort), 助 (help), 动 (move).

phonetic

孛 bèi

comet; sudden flourish

Left 孛 supplies the sound: bèi shifts to bó with a tone change. Standalone 孛 means 'comet' or 'sudden flaring', and that meaning fits perfectly with 勃 (suddenly arising, vigorous, abrupt). So 孛 functions as both phonetic and semantic. Same phonetic in 悖 (contradict), 脖 (neck).