HanziGuru.據 · jù
據
jù[ju4]Tone 4

according to / to occupy / to depend on

HSK 3
View Simplified FormSwitch to Simplified
据
Guru Deep Dive

English · according to / to occupy / to depend on

Cached lesson
1 / 1
Topology:Left-right
Strokes:11
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (扌 hand radical) takes up roughly one-third of the width, leaving the right component (豦) ample room to balance with its tiger-like structure and sweeping vertical lines.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 據 uses 豦 as the right phonetic component, which was retained in the simplified form 据.
1. Meaning

according to

to act in accordance withto depend onto seizeto occupybasis / foundation
Preposition / VerbNeutral#evidence#position#action#grammar
Sample Usage
  • 据说明天会下雨。
    Jùshuō míngtiān huì xià yǔ.
    It is said that it will rain tomorrow.
  • 证据不足，无法定案。
    Zhèngjù bùzú, wúfǎ dìng'àn.
    The evidence is insufficient to settle the case.
2. Sound
/[t͡ɕy˥˩]/Tone: 51
據
jùju4
++
`(51)
=jù
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: j sound made with the tongue blade near the hard palate
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Front of the tongue blade raised close to the hard palate behind the alveolar ridge.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -v vowel group
Sounds like: rounded high front vowel ü (like German ü or French u)
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
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops abruptly to the bottom of your vocal range, like a firm 'No!' or a sharp command.
👂
Listening trap: Often confused with 3rd tone [214] or 2nd tone [35] by beginners who fail to make the tone 4 drop sharp and decisive.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp karate chop downwards, mirroring the abrupt drop of Tone 4.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 11 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left component (扌 hand radical) takes up roughly one-third of the width, leaving the right component (豦) ample room to balance with its tiger-like structure and sweeping vertical lines.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 據 uses 豦 as the right phonetic component, which was retained in the simplified form 据.

4. Components

Radical 扌 · Hand radical (hands, holding, physical actions)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 扌 (indicates an action performed with the hand, such as seizing, holding, or grasping)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 豦 (original sound: jù)

A hand (扌) reaches out to grab or take hold of a tiger-like beast (豦), meaning to occupy or seize something firmly.

  • 扌 hand / action
  • 豦 phonetic and semantic clue of tiger-like stance or contention
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the hand radical (扌) for physical action and 豦 (tiger/contention sound) to represent grasping, holding ground, or taking a position.

Semantic Evolution: Originally meant to hold fast or occupy; extended to mean resting upon, depending on, and eventually 'according to' based on evidence one holds.

  • The right side 豦 itself depicts a fierce animal posture, conveying stubborn occupation or holding firm.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
cứ
High rising tone in Sino-Vietnamese corresponds to falling tone in Mandarin.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: キョ / コ / Kun: よる
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
거
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

With your own hand (扌), you grasp firmly onto the evidence to occupy (据) the moral high ground and speak strictly according to (据) the facts.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
据
jùaccording to / occupyStandard character with hand radical.
剧
jùdrama / severeReplaces hand radical with knife/sword radical (刂), meaning intense theatrical performance.
锯
jùsaw / to cutUses metal radical (钅) because a saw is made of metal.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
剧(jù)
据 uses 扌 (hand) for holding ground; 剧 uses 刂 (knife) for dramatic or severe cuts.
锯(jù)
据 uses 扌 (hand); 锯 uses 钅 (metal) for a metal saw tool.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
___ 專家介紹，這種植物對空氣淨化很有幫助。
Clue: jù
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the radical on the left with similar-sounding characters like jù (剧/锯) or forgetting the correct fourth tone pitch drop.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 据, what does it mean when used as a preposition meaning 'according to'?
Production: How do you write the character meaning 'according to' or 'to occupy' with a hand radical?
Real-World Video Context

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

Search theme
Accent preference

Results are live YouTube search — accents and levels aren't verified.

據jùaccording to / to occupy / to depend on
Speed:
Searching YouTube for native pronunciation videos...
0 / 0
Watch on YouTubeMore Results on YouTube