主 (zhǔ) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

主

zhǔ[zhu3]Tone 3

master

HSK 2

Guru Deep Dive

English · master

Cached lesson

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Topology:Single character

Strokes:5

Writing Balance Rule: The top dot represents the flame of a lamp and must be centered precisely over the vertical axis, while the horizontal strokes provide a stable platform below.

1. Meaning

master, owner, host

main, primaryGod, Lordindividual or party concerned

Noun / AdjectiveNeutral#authority#people#status

Sample Usage

他是这间屋子的主人。
Tā shì zhè jiàn wūzi de zhǔrén.
He is the master of this house.
这个问题主要是因为时间不够。
Zhège wèntí zhǔyào shì yīnwèi shíjiān bù gòu.
This problem is mainly because there is not enough time.

2. Sound

/[t͡ʂu²¹⁴]/Tone: 214

主

zhǔzhu3

ˇ(214)

=zhǔ

Initial Consonant

Type: Unaspirated Retroflex

Sounds like: j/dr retroflex sound

UnaspiratedRetroflex

Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air. Tongue curled up. Tissue stays still.

Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate

Final Rhyme

Vowel Group: -u vowel group

Sounds like: oo sound in boot

Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.

Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.

Tone

T3 (214)

2 → 1 → 4 (214)

3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)

Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low and rises, similar to saying 'What?' in disbelief.

Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, zhǔ changes to a 2nd tone (35).

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex initial zhǔ with the dental or alveolar initial zǔ.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: Start at a mid-low pitch, dip down toward the bottom of your vocal range, and sweep sharply upward like a checkmark.

3. Writing

Topology: Single character · Strokes: 5 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The top dot represents the flame of a lamp and must be centered precisely over the vertical axis, while the horizontal strokes provide a stable platform below.

4. Components

Radical 丶 · Dot Radical (dot)

Originally depicted an oil lamp where the top dot is the glowing flame (丶) and the lower strokes form the stand (王 shape).

丶 Flame of a lamp (representing light or a master presiding over a room)
王 Base/stand

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

10· Phonetic Root: 主 (zhǔ)

5. History

Liushu category: Pictogram (象形)

Origin: Oracle bone inscriptions show the shape of an oil lamp, with a prominent flame at the top. The oil lamp was the center of the household, hence the extended meaning of 'master' or 'owner' who presides over the home.

Semantic Evolution: From 'lamp flame' to 'the focal point' or 'master of the house', and further expanded to mean 'main', 'primary', or 'Lord'.

In ancient times, the master of the house was responsible for tending the ancestral lamp.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: シュ / Kun: ぬし

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

주

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Picture a magnificent oil lamp with a bright flame (丶) sitting on a royal king's pedestal (王). The master (主) of the castle sits beside it, making sure it never goes out.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

住

zhùto live, resideAdd the person radical (亻) to show a person residing as a master.

注

zhùto pour, focusAdd the water radical (氵) to show pouring liquids.

柱

zhùpillar, columnAdd the wood radical (木) to form a wooden pillar.

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

王(wáng)

王 (king) lacks the top dot flame (丶) found on 主.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

他是这个公司的[___]管。

Clue: zhǔ

Common Learner Pitfall

Forgetting the top dot (丶) or confusing it with 王 (wáng).

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does the character 主 mean when you see it in 主人 (zhǔrén)?

Production: How do you write the character for 'master/owner' with 5 strokes?

主zhǔmaster

Speed:

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