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照顾 (zhào gù) — to take care of, to look after

Definition

Everyday 'look after, take care of' (people, pets, patients) — hands-on, physical care. 看 (kān) is more like guard/watch over, 关怀 is warmer and more emotional.

verb
to take care ofto look after

Examples

  • 照顾。
    Qǐng bāng wǒ zhào gù yí xià wǒ de māo.
    Please help me look after my cat.
  • 照顾。
    Tā zài yī yuàn zhào gù bìng rén.
    He takes care of patients in the hospital.
  • ，照顾。
    Nǐ yí gè rén zài wài, yào zhào gù hǎo zì jǐ.
    You are alone outside, you need to take good care of yourself.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

照zhàoattend to
顾gùlook after

The 照 idea of attending to and the 顾 idea of looking after combine to mean take care.

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
灬Written in full as火huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
昭
昭zhāo照zhào
Same sound today

照 uses 灬, a bottom form of 火 (fire), plus 昭 for the sound.

Open 照 →

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 顧; 顾 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
頁頁yè
Sound part声符shēngfú
雇
雇gù顧gù
Same sound today

The traditional form 顧 combines 雇 as a sound part and 頁 as a meaning part; 顾 is the simplified form of 顧.

Open 顾 →
Appears in
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