注释 (zhù shì) — to annotate, to add comments (to a text); annotation, explanatory note

Definition

注释 is scholarly annotation on a text (footnotes, glosses, side notes). 点评 is broader — any short critical comment or review, not tied to explaining a text.

to annotateto add comments (to a text)annotationexplanatory note
Easily confused

Examples

  • 注释。
    Tā zài wén zhāng páng biān jiā le zhù shì.
    He added annotations beside the article.
  • 注释。
    Zhè běn jiào cái de zhù shì bāng zhù wǒ lǐ jiě kè wén.
    The annotations in this textbook help me understand the text.
  • 注释。
    Qǐng zǐ xì zhù shì měi yí duàn.
    Please carefully annotate each paragraph.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

注zhùannotate
释shìexplain

“注” (annotate) and “释” (explain) join to mean add explanatory notes.

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.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 釋; 释 is its simplified writing.

  • 釆釆biànto distinguish
  • 睪睪yìto release; to see

The traditional form 釋 puts 釆 (to distinguish) beside 睪, a part that gives the sound and means “to release; to see”; the simplified 释 is a later shortened shape.

Open 释 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9HSK 2.0 Level 6Reading & Writing

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