注意
to pay attention; to watch out
HSK level
- Pinyin
- zhùyì
- Part of speech
- verb
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 21
- Register
- neutral
- In episodes
- 1
Stroke order for 注意
注意 is written with 21 strokes (注: 8, 意: 13). The animation replays automatically.
What does 注意 mean?
注意 (zhùyì) is a verb meaning 'to pay attention to,' 'to watch out for,' or 'to take note of.'
Use it for noticing details (注意细节), being careful of dangers (注意安全), or paying attention in class (注意听讲). The pattern is straightforward: 注意 + object — 注意身体 ('take care of your health'), 注意安全 ('be careful'). Two notes for learners. First, 注意 is often used as a warning or piece of advice on signs and in speech: 注意! ('Watch out!'
), 请注意 ('Please note'). Second, English speakers sometimes confuse it with 小心 (xiǎoxīn, 'be careful'). 小心 warns against immediate physical danger ('Be careful — hot!'); 注意 is broader and means 'direct your attention to': 注意安全 ('mind your safety') is a general reminder, while 小心 is an in-the-moment alert. As a noun, 注意 means 'attention' (引起注意 'attract attention').
Character by character
Memory hook: 注 (pour) + 意 (thought) — pour your thoughts onto something. That's paying attention.
Hear 注意 in real episodes
注意 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Browse the full episode libraryExample sentences
请注意安全。
Qǐng zhùyì ānquán.
Please be careful. (safety)
neutral
你要注意身体。
Nǐ yào zhùyì shēntǐ.
You need to take care of your health.
spoken
上课的时候要注意听讲。
Shàngkè de shíhou yào zhùyì tīngjiǎng.
You need to pay attention in class.
neutral
我没注意到他来了。
Wǒ méi zhùyì dào tā lái le.
I didn't notice that he came.
spoken
请大家注意，会议马上开始。
Qǐng dàjiā zhùyì, huìyì mǎshàng kāishǐ.
Everyone please pay attention, the meeting is starting soon.
neutral
Common phrases with 注意
Synonyms
小心 means 'be careful' and warns of immediate physical danger ('Careful — hot!'). 注意 is broader, meaning 'pay attention to' something general (your health, the time, the rules). Use 小心 for warnings; 注意 for awareness.
留意 means 'to keep an eye on' or 'be on the lookout for' — more passive watching over time. 注意 is more active focus. 留意天气变化 ('keep an eye on weather changes') vs 注意听课 ('pay attention in class').
Don't confuse 注意 with
主意 means 'idea/plan' (好主意 'good idea'). 注意 means 'pay attention.' Same 意 character, but completely different first character. Don't mix 我有个好主意 ('I have an idea') with 注意!
FAQ
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