勃 (bó) is a Chinese character meaning “vigorous”. It is written from 孛 (comet; luxuriant growth) and 力 (strength; power), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “vigorous; thriving”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
孛 + 力
Left–right structure
Structure from: IDS 拆分 ⿰孛力，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–6 为「孛」（7 画），笔画 7–8 为「力」（2 画），合计 9 画
Memory aid
孛 is a comet streaking overhead; 力 is force. Put the comet next to the muscle and you get 勃 — energy bursting out, growth shooting up.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 蓬勃péng bóvigorous; flourishing; booming勃 = bó
- 勃发bó fāto burst out; to break out; to flourish suddenly勃 = bó
Go deeper
All readings
vigorous; thriving
vigorous; flourishing; surging up suddenly
旺盛、兴起的样子，多用于「蓬勃」「勃发」这类词。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 蓬勃péng bóvigorous; flourishing; booming勃 = bó
- 勃发bó fāto burst out; to break out; to flourish suddenly勃 = bó
Origin
Written with 力 (strength) for meaning and 孛 for sound: a surge of force.
Source: 说文解字（勃：排也。从力孛聲）
Sound component
孛 family exact
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 勃 mean?
勃 (bó) means vigorous; flourishing; surging up suddenly.
How do you pronounce 勃?
It is pronounced bó.
What parts is 勃 made of?
孛 (comet; luxuriant growth) and 力 (strength; power), side by side. The recorded source is: IDS 拆分 ⿰孛力，并以 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验：笔画 0–6 为「孛」（7 画），笔画 7–8 为「力」（2 画），合计 9 画. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 勃 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 勃?
力. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 勃?
Common ones are 蓬勃 and 勃发. The reading of 勃 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.