HanziGuru.局 · jú
局
jú[ju2]Tone 2

narrow

HSK 4
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侷
Multiple Readings (多音字):
Guru Deep Dive

English · narrow

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:7
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (尸) should be compact and lean slightly left, while the right component (可) opens up to provide structural balance.
Simplification Logic: The simplified character 局 replaces the complex right-hand side component with 可 for simpler stroke execution.
1. Meaning

narrow, cramped, limited

bureau, office, departmentsituation, phase, game
Adjective / Noun / ClassifierNeutral#space#organization#status
Sample Usage
  • 局促
    júcù
    cramped, uneasy, constrained
  • 邮局
    yóujú
    post office
2. Sound
/[tɕy³⁵]/Tone: 35
局
júju2
++
´(35)
=jú
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: j sound as in jeep
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches or approaches the hard palate
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -v vowel group
Sounds like: ü sound like French 'u' or German 'ü'
Note: Written as 'u', pronounced as rounded 'ü' [y].
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'ü'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T2 (35)
2nd Tone (Mid-Rising)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 2 rises like asking 'Huh?' or 'What?' in English astonishment.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the rounded 'ü' vowel with an 'u' or 'i' sound.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture moving from low-middle to high, matching an upward question inflection in English.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 7 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (尸) should be compact and lean slightly left, while the right component (可) opens up to provide structural balance.

Simplification Logic: The simplified character 局 replaces the complex right-hand side component with 可 for simpler stroke execution.

4. Components

Radical 尸 · Corpse radical (house, building, or body posture)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 尸 (indicates a shelter or confined structure)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 可 (original sound: kě / jú)

A corpse or person (尸) inside a structure that can (可) only fit a very small space, representing something narrow or cramped.

  • 尸 shelter/body
  • 可 phonetic and structural component
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined a shelter radical with a phonetic element to denote cramped physical spaces, which later expanded to mean offices, departments, and games or situations.

Semantic Evolution: From a physical space being cramped or narrow, it evolved to refer to confined official spaces (bureaus) and eventually abstract boundaries of a situation.

  • In modern Chinese, it is most frequently encountered as a suffix for offices and institutions (e.g., 邮局, 警察局).
6. Sinosphere
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Imagine a person trapped under a roof (尸) who can (可) only fit into a very NARROW, cramped space.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
局
júnarrow / bureauBase character
锔
júto mend with clampsAdds metal radical (钅) for clamping broken ceramics
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
句(jù)
句 means sentence and uses 口 (mouth) instead of 尸 (shelter).
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
这家公司的规模太[___]了。
Clue: jú
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone with Tone 4 (jù) or mixing up the left radical 尸 with 户.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 局, what are its primary core meanings?
Production: How do you write the character for 'narrow / bureau' with pinyin jú?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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