记住 (jì zhu) — to remember, to bear in mind, to learn by heart

Definition

记住 is a resultative verb meaning 'remember / commit to memory' — focus on successfully retaining something, contrasted with 记得 which describes the ongoing state of memory.

verb
to rememberto bear in mindto learn by heart

Examples

  • 记住。
    Qǐng jì zhu zhè xiē shēng cí.
    Please remember these new words.
  • 记住。
    Tā jì zhu le wǒ de míng zì.
    He remembered my name.
  • 。
    Wǒ jì bú zhù nà me duō dān cí.
    I can't remember that many words.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

记jìremember
住zhùstay

记 “remember” plus 住 “stay” gives the sense of holding it in mind.

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 記; 记 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeech; words
Sound part声符shēngfú
己
己jǐ記jì
Same sound today

The traditional form 記 pairs 言 (speech; words) with 己 as a sound part; the simplified 记 is a later shorthand, so its right side is not the historical component.

Open 记 →

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
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ住zhù
Same sound today

住 pairs 亻, the person radical (written fully as 人), with 主, which supplies the sound.

Open 住 →
Appears in
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