注 meaning and stroke order
(bound form) to pour into; to flow into; to inject; (bound form) to focus (one's spirit, gaze etc) on a single point; to concentrate; (bound form) stake (in gambling)
How to write 注, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 8
Meaning of 注
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to annotate; to provide explanatory notes on a written text
- an annotation; an explanatory note
- (bound form) to put on record; to register
- (bound form) to pour into; to flow into; to inject
- (bound form) to focus (one's spirit, gaze etc) on a single point; to concentrate
- (bound form) stake (in gambling)
How 注 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Water.
氵 gives the meaning and 主 hints at the sound.
Radical: 氵 (water), shared by 467 characters on this site.
How to remember 注
注 is water 氵 plus 主 (zhǔ), which gives the sound. Picture water poured steadily into one spot, the way you pour your attention onto one point.
注 rarely stands alone in speech. It appears in words like 注意 (zhùyì, pay attention), 注册 (zhùcè, register) and 关注 (guānzhù, follow closely). Example: 请注意安全。(Qǐng zhùyì ānquán.) Please pay attention to safety.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 注 with 住 (zhù, to live), which has the person radical 亻 instead of water 氵. Both are fourth tone, so check the left side. Also keep 主 (zhǔ) in third tone and 注 in fourth.
Common words with 注
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 注意 | zhùyì | to take note of; to pay attention to | HSK 3 |
| 关注 | guānzhù | to pay attention to; to follow sth closely; to follow (on social media); concern; interest | HSK 3 |
| 注射 | zhùshè | injection; to inject | HSK 5 |
| 注册 | zhùcè | to register; to enroll | HSK 5 |
| 注视 | zhùshì | to look attentively at; to closely watch; to gaze at | HSK 5 |
| 注重 | zhùzhòng | to pay attention to; to emphasize | HSK 5 |
| 注定 | zhùdìng | to foreordain; to be bound to; to be destined to; to be doomed to; inevitably | HSK 7-9 |
| 专注 | zhuānzhù | to focus; to concentrate; to give one's full attention | HSK 7-9 |
| 注入 | zhùrù | to pour into; to empty into | HSK 7-9 |
| 引人注目 | yǐnrén-zhùmù | to attract attention; eye-catching | HSK 7-9 |
| 注意力 | zhùyìlì | attention | |
| 赌注 | dǔzhù | stake (in a gamble); (what is at) stake | |
| 下注 | xiàzhù | to pour; to pour down (of rain) | |
| 命中注定 | mìngzhōngzhùdìng | decreed by fate (idiom); destined |
注 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 注
How many strokes are in 注?
注 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 注 mean?
注 (zhù) means (bound form) to pour into; to flow into; to inject; (bound form) to focus (one's spirit, gaze etc) on a single point; to concentrate; (bound form) stake (in gambling). A common word with it is 注意 (zhùyì), meaning "to take note of; to pay attention to".
How do you pronounce 注?
注 is pronounced zhù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 注?
The radical of 注 is 氵, which carries the idea of "water". Dictionaries list 注 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 注?
The traditional form of 注 is 註. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 注 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 注 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 注 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 注意 and 关注?
注意 means to notice or be careful, as in 注意身体 (take care of your health). 关注 means to follow something with ongoing interest, like news or a social media account.
Why does 注 mean both 'pour' and 'annotate'?
The dictionary lists pouring or injecting, focusing, and annotating as senses of the same character. In simplified Chinese, the note sense was once written 註, and that form was merged into 注.