How to write 着 (zhe, “aspect particle”)
着, an HSK 2 character, is read zhe for “aspect particle”, and also zháo (“to catch fire”) and zhuó (“to wear”). It is HSK 2 in the 2025 syllabus, up from level 1 in the 2021 standard. The Chinese data draws 11 strokes, the Japanese data 12 strokes. On its own it is an HSK 2 word; it also forms 着急 (“to worry”), 有着 (“to have”) and 着火 (“to catch fire”). Japanese reads it chaku, “don”, as a JLPT N4 kanji.
- Pinyin
- zhe, zháo, zhuó, zhāo
- Strokes
- 11
- HSK
- 2
- Radical
- 目 (“eye”)
- Traditional
- 著
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
As a top-left cover character it splits into 羊 (“sheep”), strokes 1–6; 目 (“eye”, the radical), strokes 7–11, written the cover first.
- top leftdown and right
- topdownwards → down and left
- top leftrightwards
- top leftrightwards
- leftrightwards
- topdown and left
- centerdownwards
- centerrightwards → downwards
- bottomrightwards
- bottomrightwards
- bottomrightwards
Japanese and Chinese
KanjiVG draws it with 12 strokes and Make Me a Hanzi with 11 strokes. The reference lists do not confirm both counts, so this can be a convention of the two data sets rather than a difference in how it is taught.
Trace it
Follow the numbers. Tracing help
Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| zhe neutral tone | aspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state | 著 | 有着 接着 随着 意味着 |
| zháo second tone | to catch fire; to touch; to come in contact with; to feel; to be affected by | 著 | 着急 着火 着凉 |
| zhuó second tone | to wear (clothes); to contact; to use; to apply | 著 | 着想 着手 穿着 着眼 |
| zhāo first tone | a move in chess; trick; tactic; (dialect) okay; all right; (dialect) to put in; to add | 著 | — |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 2
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 2 word
- Words with it
- 151 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 着
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 着 著 | zhe | aspect particle indicating action in progress or ongoing state HSK 2 |
| 着急 著急 | zháojí | to worry; to feel anxious HSK 3 |
| 有着 有著 | yǒuzhe | to have; to possess HSK 4 |
| 着火 著火 | zháohuǒ | to catch fire HSK 4 |
| 接着 接著 | jiēzhe | to catch and hold on; to continue HSK 4 |
| 随着 隨著 | suízhe | along with; in the wake of HSK 4 |
| 着凉 著涼 | zháoliáng | to catch cold HSK 5 |
| 意味着 意味著 | yìwèizhe | to signify; to mean HSK 5 |
| 本着 本著 | běnzhe | based on...; in conformance with.. HSK 7-9 |
| 着想 著想 | zhuóxiǎng | to give thought (to others); to consider (other people's needs) HSK 7-9 |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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HSK 2, in list order: