徇

strive for, follow

徇 is composed of 彳 (step) and 旬 (ten days). 彳 signifies taking action or moving forward, while 旬 carries the meaning of completion or a full cycle. Whether an action reaches full completion depends on achieving a specific goal; thus, 徇 originally represented carrying out an action with a clear purpose, which further extended to mean seeking after, striving for, or complying with something.

Vocabulary of 徇

  • 徇私 (favor one's relatives)
  • 徇情 (show partiality)

Related Characters: