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专注 (zhuān zhù) — focused, concentrated, attentive

Definition

专注 (zhuānzhù) describes mental focus on one task — stronger and more absorbed than 专心 ('paying attention'). Pairs with 地 to modify verbs, like 用心.

adjective
focusedconcentratedattentive
Easily confused

Examples

  • 专注。
    Tā gōng zuò de shí hou fēi cháng zhuān zhù.
    He is very focused when he works.
  • 专注。
    Tā zhuān zhù dì tīng wán le zhěng chǎng yǎn jiǎng.
    She listened attentively to the entire speech.
  • 专注。
    Xué xí shí bǎo chí zhuān zhù hěn zhòng yào.
    It's important to stay focused while studying.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

专zhuānconcentrate
注zhùfocus

专 and 注 both express concentrating, so together they describe full attention.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 專; 专 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 專 shows 又, a hand, turning 叀, a spindle; this came to mean gathering several things into one.

Open 专 →

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
水水shuǐwater
Sound part声符shēngfú
主
主zhǔ注zhù
Same sound today

注 combines 水, meaning water, with 主, which gives the sound.

Open 注 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6Personality & Traits

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