Dictionary › 着

着

zhe

Old HSK 2 HSK 3.0 character level 2 Character Traditional 著

着 (zhe) means "(aspect particle indicating a continuing state or action)". It is an HSK 3.0 level 2 word, and was HSK 2 in the old six-level list.

What 着 means

1. aspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state

How 着 is used in grammar

着 is a grammar word. Each link goes to its own section: what it does in that pattern, the structure, three example sentences with pinyin, and the mistake to avoid.

• Existential Sentences with 着: 桌子上放着书 (HSK 2)
• Continuous State 着: Persistent Action or State (HSK 2)
• Existential sentences: 有/是/着 + location (HSK 4)
• 着: continuous/accompanying state (HSK 4)
• Object Semantics: Existential & Affected Objects (HSK 5)

The official HSK 3.0 grammar outline lists it at level 2, particles (动态助词).

Other readings

着 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• zhāoa move in chess (Taiwan pr. zhuó); trick; tactic; okay; all right
• zháoto touch; to come in contact with; to feel
• zhuóto wear (clothes); to contact; to use
• zhevariant of {着|zhe}
• zhāovariant of {着|zhāo}
• zháovariant of {着|zháo}
• zhuóvariant of {着|zhuó}

Example sentences

• 走着瞧
  Zǒuzheqiáo
  Wait and see.
• 看着我
  Look at me.
• 听着！
  Listen!
• 趴着！
  Stay down!
• 听着。
  Listen.
• 掖着！
  Tuck in!

Words starting with 着

• 着急zháo jíto worry; to feel anxious; to feel a sense of urgency; to be in a hurry…
• 着凉zháo liángto catch cold; Taiwan pr. zhāo liáng
• 着手zhuó shǒuto put one's hand to it; to start out on a task; to set out
• 着想zhuó xiǎngto give thought (to others); to consider (other people's needs); also pr. zháo xiǎng
• 着重zhuó zhòngto put emphasis on; to stress
• 着迷zháo míto be fascinated; to be captivated
• 着呢zhe necomes at the end of the sentence to indicate a strong degree; quite; rather
• 着眼zhuó yǎnto have one's eyes on (a goal); having sth in mind; to concentrate
• 着实zhuó shítruly; indeed; severely
• 着地zháo dìto land; to touch the ground; also pr. zhuó dì
• 着装zhuó zhuāngto dress; dress; clothes
• 着火zháo huǒto catch fire
• 着陆zhuó lùlanding; touchdown; to land
• 着落zhuó luòwhereabouts; place to settle; reliable source (of funds etc)
• 着力zhuó lìto put effort into sth; to try really hard
• 着墨zhuó mòto describe (in writing, applying ink)
• 着意zhuó yìto act with diligent care
• 着边zháo biānrelevant; to the point; has sth to do with the matter (also used with negative)
• 着笔zhuó bǐto put pen to paper
• 着色zhuó sèto apply color; to color; to paint
• 着魔zháo móobsessed; bewitched; enchanted
• 着眼点zhuó yǎn diǎnplace of interest; a place one has one's eye on
• 着数zhāo shùmove (in chess, on stage, in martial arts); gambit; trick
• 着法zhāo fǎmove (in chess or martial arts)

Words containing 着

• 随着suí zhealong with; in the wake of; following
• 接着jiē zheto catch and hold on; to continue; to go on to do sth
• 跟着gēn zheto follow after; immediately afterwards
• 穿着chuān zhuóattire; clothes; dress
• 有着yǒu zheto have; to possess
• 本着běn zhebased on...; in conformance with..; taking as one's main principle
• 沉着chén zhuósteady; calm and collected; not nervous
• 意味着yì wèi zheto signify; to mean; to imply
• 睡着shuì zháoto fall asleep
• 沿着yán zheto go along; to follow
• 顺着shùn zheto follow; following; along
• 背着bèi zheturning one's back to (sth or sb); keeping sth secret from (sb)…
• 执着zhí zhuódedicated; devoted; persistent; to persist in; to cling to; (Buddhism) attachment
• 用不着yòng bu zháonot need; have no use for
• 当着dāng zhein front of; in the presence of
• 朝着cháo zhetowards
• 凭着píng zherelying on; on the basis of
• 紧接着jǐn jiē zheimmediately afterwards; shortly after that
• 向着xiàng zhetowards; facing (sb or sth); (colloquial) to side with
• 衣着yī zhuóclothes
• 来着lái zheauxiliary showing sth happened in the past
• 身着shēn zhuóto wear
• 点着diǎn zháoto light (a candle, cigarette etc)
• 挨着āi zhenear

Characters that look like 着

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 景jǐng(bound form) scenery; circumstance; situation
• 著zhùto make known; to show; to prove
• 董dǒngto supervise; to direct; director
• 暑shǔheat; hot weather; summer heat
• 庸yōngordinary; to use
• 惫bèiexhausted

Where 着 is taught

In the GraphChinese course it is part of Conjunctions and Discourse Adverbs (HSK 2), HSK 2 Characters · Set 3 (HSK 2), each one a topic in the dependency graph of HSK 1–6 that opens only once its prerequisites are solid.

Go deeper

• Every HSK 2 word, with the rest of its level.
• How characters are built from components.
• How to learn Chinese characters.
• The four tones and the neutral tone, to read zhe correctly.
• Look up another word in the free dictionary.