Writing Balance Rule: The top component (氵 shape variant) should be compact and centered above, while the bottom component (取) provides a solid, wide base.
1. Meaning
to assemble, gather, or come together
to concentrate or focusprefix in chemistry meaning poly- (polymerization)
VerbNeutral#social interaction#actions#chemistry
Sample Usage
大家聚在一起聊天。
Dàjiā jù zài yìqǐ liáotiān.
Everyone gathered together to chat.
聚会
jùhuì
party, gathering
2. Sound
/[tɕy⁵¹]/Tone: 51
聚
jùju4
|
++
`(51)
=jù
Initial Consonant
j
Type: Unaspirated Alveolo-Palatal
Sounds like: j sound as in 'jeep' but with blade of tongue flat against hard palate
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No air puff. Lips spread wide like smiling.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Blade of the tongue touches the hard palate, unvoiced and unaspirated.
Final Rhyme
u
Vowel Group: -v vowel group
Sounds like: ü sound as in German 'über' or French 'lune'
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)
5 → 1 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges straight down, exactly like saying 'No!' or 'Stop!' in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the rounded ü vowel with an ordinary u or i sound. Ensure the lips remain firmly rounded.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A decisive karate chop downward from high to low, mirroring the sharp falling pitch of Tone 4.
3. Writing
Topology: Top-bottom · Strokes: 14 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The top component (氵 shape variant) should be compact and centered above, while the bottom component (取) provides a solid, wide base.
4. Components
Radical耳 · Ear Radical (ear)
Semantic Clue (形旁):氵 (water/liquid flowing together into a stream)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):取 (original sound: jù)
People (or streams of water represented by the radical at the top left/right variants) take (取) themselves and ears (耳) to gather together in one place.
氵 Water streams converging
取 To take / phonetic clue
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
4· Phonetic Root: 聚 (jù)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Originally combined elements indicating streams of water flowing together into a single body, later generalized to mean any gathering or accumulation of people or things.
Semantic Evolution: From water streams merging into a common channel to people assembling in a single location.
The bottom part '取' historically implied taking or capturing, reinforcing the idea of bringing things together.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
tụ
Mandarin Tone 4 corresponds to Vietnamese nặng or sắc depending on historical register, here yielding a stopped falling sense.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: シュウ / Kun: あつ.める
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
취
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
Water drops and streams flow together, and people use their ears (耳) and hands to TAKE (取) their places at a big family gathering.
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
取
qǔto takeBase phonetic component without the converging stream/water elements.
趣
qùinterestingAdds the running foot radical (走) to indicate where attention is taken.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
拒(jù)
Has the hand radical (扌) instead of water/gathering elements, meaning to resist or refuse.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
周末大家喜欢[___]在一起吃饭聊天。
Clue: jù
Common Learner Pitfall
Forgetting to round the lips for the ü vowel, mistakenly pronouncing it as 'ju' like English 'zoo'.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 聚, what does it mean and how is it pronounced with tone?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to assemble / gather' (jù)?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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聚jùto assemble; to gather
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