劝告 (quàngào) is a formal noun meaning 'admonition' or 'earnest advice' — advice given with concern, often to discourage someone from doing something unwise or harmful. The first character 劝 (quàn) means 'to advise' or 'to persuade', while 告 (gào) means 'to tell' or 'to inform'. Together, they emphasize sincere, weighty counsel rather than casual suggestion — it carries a tone of moral responsibility or care, frequently used in parent-child, teacher-student, or doctor-patient relationships.

This word is more serious and solemn than everyday words like 建议 (jiànyì, 'suggestion') or 提醒 (tíxǐng, 'reminder'). It often implies the speaker believes the listener’s current course of action is risky, unhealthy, or ethically questionable. 劝告 is typically used in written Chinese or formal spoken contexts; it rarely appears in light or humorous situations, and is seldom used as a verb — it functions almost exclusively as a noun, usually as the object of verbs like 听从 (tīngcóng, 'to follow'), 接受 (jiēshòu, 'to accept'), or 拒绝 (jùjué, 'to refuse').