Writing Balance Rule: The left stroke starts thin and sweeps down gracefully, while the right stroke is shorter, heavier, and pushes down and to the right, leaning into the left stroke like a protective roof or an open doorway.
1. Meaning
to enter, to go into
to join or become a member of an organizationto conform to or fit in with standardsabbreviation for entering tone in classical Chinese phonologycontaining a specified number of pieces (Japanese borrowing on packaging)
VerbNeutral#movement#action#spatial orientation
Sample Usage
请进入房间。
qǐng jìn rù fáng jiān.
Please enter the room.
他加入了中国共产党。
tā jiārù le zhōngguó gòngchǎndǎng.
He joined the Chinese Communist Party.
2. Sound
/[ʐu⁵¹]/Tone: 51
入
rùru4
|
++
`(51)
=rù
Initial Consonant
r
Type: Voiced Retroflex Approximant
Sounds like: retroflex approximant similar to j/dr sound without friction
UnaspiratedRetroflex
Airflow Tactile Test: Voiced vibration in throat with curled tongue.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip curled back near hard palate, voicing vocal cords while air flows smoothly.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -u vowel group
Sounds like: oo sound as in boot or root
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oo'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
5 → 1 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops sharply to the bottom, identical to a firm, commanding 'No!' or 'Down!' in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex initial 'r-' with the English 'r' or French uvular 'r'. In Mandarin, the tongue curls back without touching the roof of the mouth.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, decisive downward chop of the hand representing a drop from the ceiling to the floor.
3. Writing
Topology: Single character · Strokes: 2 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left stroke starts thin and sweeps down gracefully, while the right stroke is shorter, heavier, and pushes down and to the right, leaning into the left stroke like a protective roof or an open doorway.
4. Components
Radical入 · Enter Radical (entering, coming in)
A graphic depiction of two lines meeting or one line plunging inward beneath another, symbolizing a wedge entering a gap or a person walking through a doorway.
丿 Left downward stroke, representing the left side of an opening
㇏ Right falling stroke, representing the right side opening wider to let things in
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
2· Phonetic Root: 入 (rù)
5. History
Liushu category: Pictogram (象形)
Origin: In Oracle Bone inscriptions, 入 was drawn as a pointed opening or a funnel shape, representing a tunnel, cave entrance, or bird returning to a nest.
Semantic Evolution: Originally depicting a physical entrance or going inside, it extended to abstract concepts like joining groups, accepting ideas, and accounting credits (entering ledgers).
It is one of the oldest and simplest characters in the Chinese writing system, appearing frequently in oracle bones.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
nhập
Corresponds to the heavy glottal checked tone in Sino-Vietnamese vocabulary.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ニュウ (nyū) / Kun: い（る）, はい（る）
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
입 (ip)
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Imagine an arrowhead pointing straight inside an open tent flap, showing you how to **enter** (rù).
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
内
nèiinsideContains 入 inside a boundary enclosure (冂).
两
liǎngtwoUses 入 elements side by side under a roof.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
人(rén)
人 (person) has the left stroke cross through and extend higher than the right stroke like legs walking, whereas 入 (enter) has the right stroke press down heavily against the left stroke to form an enclosed funnel.
八(bā)
八 (eight) has two separate strokes diverging apart without touching, while 入 (enter) has the strokes leaning into each other.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
请不要在这个房间里抽烟，请【___】外面抽。
Clue: rù
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing 入 with 人 (person) in handwritten tests. Remember: 人 walks with legs apart, while 入 opens up like a funnel to let you enter.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: What action does the 2-stroke character '入' depict?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to enter' using two curving strokes?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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入rùto enter; to go into
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