屬 (zhǔ) - Meaning, Stroke Order & Audio

屬

zhǔ[zhu3]Tone 3

belong to, category, depend on

HSK 3

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属

Multiple Readings (多音字):

Guru Deep Dive

English · belong to, category, depend on

Cached lesson

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Topology:Left-right

Strokes:12

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (尸) forms a sheltering roof, and the right component (蜀) must be neatly stacked underneath and beside it without overlapping awkwardly.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 屬 by streamlining the complex insect/eye components inside 蜀 into a simplified form.

1. Meaning

to belong to, to be subordinate to

category, genus, family (in taxonomy)to join together, to connectto be born in the year of a specific animal (Chinese zodiac)

Verb / NounNeutral#classification#relations#zodiac

Sample Usage

这本书属于我。
Zhè běn shū shǔ yú wǒ.
This book belongs to me.
你属什么？
Nǐ shǔ shénme?
What animal sign were you born under (What is your Chinese zodiac sign)?

2. Sound

/[ʈʂu³⁵]/Tone: 35

屬

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 as 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 the incredulous tone in English 'Really?'

Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, it shifts to a 2nd tone (rising 35).

👂

Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex initial 'zh-' with the dental affricate 'z-' (zu3), leading to mispronunciation.

👋

Physical Tone Gesture: A rising hand gesture starting from a medium-low pitch and soaring upward, like asking a surprised question 'What?'

3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (尸) forms a sheltering roof, and the right component (蜀) must be neatly stacked underneath and beside it without overlapping awkwardly.

Simplification Logic: Simplified from 屬 by streamlining the complex insect/eye components inside 蜀 into a simplified form.

4. Components

Radical 尸 · Corpse / Awning Radical (body, corpse, or shelter structure)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 尸 (provides the underlying structural enclosure)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 蜀 (original sound: shǔ)

Underneath a sheltering roof (尸), a group of things or creatures (蜀) are gathered and categorized together, indicating belonging and association.

尸 body / shelter radical
蜀 phonetic and semantic clue indicating connection or category

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

6· Phonetic Root: 禹 (yǔ)

5. History

Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Originally combined the idea of a tail or trailing attachment with phonetic elements, evolving into meanings of joining, connecting, and belonging.

Semantic Evolution: From joining and connecting physically to abstract belonging, categorization, and zodiac affiliation.

Extensively used in traditional Chinese family lineage records and biological classification.

6. Sinosphere

🇯🇵

Kanji (Japanese)

On: ショク / Kun: つづく

🇰🇷

Hanja (Korean)

속

7. Memory

Vivid Mnemonic Story

Underneath the house shelter (尸), all the caterpillars and creatures (蜀) belong to the same family category.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)

蜀

shǔSichuan / caterpillarBase phonetic component without the radical prefix

瞩

zhǔto gaze atReplaces the left side with eye (目) for looking closely

Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)

瞩(zhǔ)

瞩 has the eye radical (目) because it relates to gazing or watching, while 属 has the body/shelter radical (尸).

柱(zhù)

柱 has the wood radical (木) representing a pillar, whereas 属 uses 尸.

8. Mastery

Active Recall Challenge

這颱電腦[___]於公司。

Clue: shǔ

Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing 属 (zhǔ) with its lookalike 瞩 (zhǔ) or writing the complex right-hand side incorrectly.

Memory Prompts

Recognition: What does 属 mean when used in the phrase 属于?

Production: How do you write the character for 'belong to / zodiac' (zhǔ)?

屬zhǔbelong to, category, depend on

Speed:

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