在乎 meaning in English
to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (often used in the negative) to care about
Meaning of 在乎
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute)
- (often used in the negative) to care about
How to use 在乎
在乎 is most often used to say whether someone cares about something, and it very often appears in the negative with 不 (bù). It can take a direct object or a whole phrase. Example: 我不在乎别人怎么说。(Wǒ bú zàihu biérén zěnme shuō.) I don't care what other people say.
在 (zài) means "to be at" and 乎 (hu) is a small particle, so 在乎 is about where your heart "is at". If something matters to you, your mind stays on it.
Common mistake: Learners often say 乎 with a full first tone, but in 在乎 it is usually neutral: zàihu. Also, do not confuse 乎 with 平 (píng, flat); 乎 has the three short strokes on top and a hooked vertical stroke.
在乎 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
在 zài · to exist · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
乎 hū · interrogative or exclamatory final part… · 5 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 在乎.
| 现在 | xiànzài | now; at present; currently |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing |
| 在家 | zàijiā | to be at home; (at a workplace) to be in (as opposed to being away on official business 出差 |
| 实在 | shízài | really; actually |
| 存在 | cúnzài | to exist; to be |
| 似乎 | sìhū | it seems; seemingly; as if |
| 几乎 | jīhū | almost; nearly; practically |
| 不在乎 | bùzàihu | not to care |
| 在于 | zàiyú | to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (of a matter) to be determine |
| 在场 | zàichǎng | to be present; to be on the scene |
| 所在 | suǒzài | place; location |
| 处在 | chǔzài | to be situated at; to find oneself at |
Questions about 在乎
What does 在乎 mean?
在乎 (zàihu) means "to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (often used in the negative) to care about" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 在乎?
在乎 is made of 2 characters: 在 (6 strokes), 乎 (5 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 在乎 an HSK word?
Yes. 在乎 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 在乎 and 关心?
关心 (guānxīn) means to show concern for or look after someone, and it sounds warm and active. 在乎 means something matters to you or bothers you, and it is often used to say you do not care, as in 我不在乎钱 (I don't care about money).
Can 在乎 mean "to lie in" or "to depend on"?
Yes, in more formal writing 在乎 can mean "to lie in" or "to be due to", similar to 在于 (zàiyú). For example, 成功在乎努力 means success lies in hard work, but in everyday speech the "care about" meaning is far more common.