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觉悟 (jué wù) — to realize, to come to understand (a truth or fact); awareness, consciousness, understanding (of an abstract issue or principle)

Definition

觉悟 means 'to awaken to (a truth)' — a deeper, often ideological or philosophical realization, stronger than 意识 (basic awareness) and more abstract than 体会 (insight from personal experience).

to realizeto come to understand (a truth or fact)awarenessconsciousnessunderstanding (of an abstract issue or principle)

Examples

  • 觉悟。
    Tā jué wù dào jiàn kāng zuì zhòng yào.
    He realized that health is most important.
  • 觉悟。
    Tā de huán bǎo jué wù yuè lái yuè qiáng.
    Her environmental awareness is getting stronger.
  • 觉悟。
    Chán shī jiǎng jué wù de dào lǐ.
    The Chan master spoke about the principle of enlightenment.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

觉juéawaken
悟wùunderstand

觉 and 悟 both mean awakening or understanding, together giving awareness of a truth.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 覺; 觉 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
𦥯
𦥯𦥯覺jué
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 覺 pairs 見, a part that means see, with 𦥯, a part that gives the sound; simplified 觉 is a later abbreviation.

Open 觉 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
忄Written in full as心xīn
Sound part声符shēngfú
吾
吾wú悟
Same sound today

悟 is made from 忄, a side form of 心, and 吾, which supplies the sound.

Open 悟 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Thinking & Cognition

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