HanziGuru.瞩 · zhǔ
瞩
zhǔ[zhu3]Tone 3

to gaze at

HSK 7
Guru Deep Dive

English · to gaze at

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:17
Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (目 eye) narrow and compact, leaving ample space for the right component (属 category/belong) so the entire character does not feel squished.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 矚 simplifies the right component's complex inner elements into a cleaner standard structure under Chinese character simplification.

to gaze at

to stare atto fix attention upon
VerbFormal / LiteraryBound morpheme#vision#attention#observation
Sample Usage
  • 举世瞩目
    jǔ shì zhǔ mù
    to attract worldwide attention
  • 瞩目
    zhǔ mù
    to focus attention on / to fix the gaze upon
/[ʈʂu²¹⁴]/Tone: 214
瞩
zhǔzhu3
++
ˇ(214)
=zhǔ
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
zhu
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "u" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
zh
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
u
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)
3rd Tone (Low-Dipping)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 3 dips low before rising, similar to the incredulous English question 'Really?'
Sandhi: When followed by another 3rd tone syllable, zhǔ changes to a 2nd tone (rising 35).
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the retroflex 'zh' with the alveolar 'z' (making it sound like 'zǔ' instead of 'zhǔ').
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: Start at a mid-high pitch, dip down low to your chest, and sweep upward into the air like a checkmark or the bottom of a V.

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 17 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: Keep the left component (目 eye) narrow and compact, leaving ample space for the right component (属 category/belong) so the entire character does not feel squished.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 矚 simplifies the right component's complex inner elements into a cleaner standard structure under Chinese character simplification.

Radical 目 · Eye Radical (eye or vision)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 目 (Indicates that the action is performed with the eyes (gazing, looking).)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 属 (original sound: zhǔ)

The eye component (目) looks closely at a designated group or target (属), combining to mean gazing intently at something.

  • 目 eye (semantic clue for looking)
  • 属 category/belong (phonetic clue for zhǔ pronunciation)
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from 目 (eye) as the semantic indicator of seeing and 属 (to belong/concentrate) as the phonetic indicator providing the sound zhǔ.

Semantic Evolution: Originally meant fixing the eyes upon an object or person, which later broadened in literary and formal contexts to mean drawing intense public attention or focus.

  • Frequently preserved in modern political and media Chinese in idioms such as '举世瞩目' (attracting worldwide attention).
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ショク / Kun: みつ.める
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
촉
Vivid Mnemonic Story

With your two EYES (目) fixed like a category BELONGING (属) to you, you GAZE AT (瞩) the horizon.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
属
zhǔbelong to, category, depend onPhonetic Core (声旁)
嘱
zhǔto enjoin; to implore+ 口 (mouth)
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
属(shǔ)
Missing the left-side eye radical (目).
Active Recall Challenge
这场国际体育赛事备受全球[___]。
Clue: zhǔ
Common Learner Pitfall

Forgetting the left-hand eye radical (目) and writing only the right phonetic part (属), or confusing the tone with tone 4.

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 瞩, what formal verb does it represent and what is its radical?
Production: How do you write the formal literary word for 'to gaze at / stare at' (zhǔ) using an eye radical?

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瞩zhǔto gaze at
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