照顾
to look after; to take care of
zhàogù
What does 照顾 mean?
照顾 (zhàogù) is a verb meaning to look after, take care of, or attend to someone's needs. It implies active, ongoing responsibility — feeding, watching over, making sure the person is comfortable — and is the standard word for caring for children, the elderly, the sick, or guests. Two things differ from English 'take care.'
First, 照顾 is almost always directed at a person or living thing, not at abstract tasks; you 处理 a problem, not 照顾 it. Second, 照顾 can also mean 'show consideration for' or 'give preferential treatment to' — a host might 照顾 a guest by ordering their favorite dish, and a shopkeeper might 照顾 a regular customer with a discount. The noun form (someone's 照顾) means 'care' or 'consideration.'
Note: Works in both spoken and written contexts. The object is usually a person, animal, or thing that needs attention — children, the elderly, patients, a pet, even a guest. For 'taking care of business/problems,' use 处理 (chǔlǐ) instead.
Character breakdown
to shine on; to look after
to attend to; to consider
Memory hook: 照 (shine light on) + 顾 (turn to look at) — you shine your attention on someone and keep turning back to check on them.
Example sentences
妈妈在家照顾孩子。
Māma zài jiā zhàogù háizi.
Mom is at home taking care of the kids.
neutral
你要好好照顾自己。
Nǐ yào hǎohǎo zhàogù zìjǐ.
You need to take good care of yourself.
spoken
谢谢你的照顾。
Xièxie nǐ de zhàogù.
Thank you for your care.
polite
请多多照顾。
Qǐng duōduō zhàogù.
Please look after me well. (set phrase, new colleague/student)
polite
她每天照顾生病的爸爸。
Tā měi tiān zhàogù shēngbìng de bàba.
She takes care of her sick father every day.
neutral
Common phrases with 照顾
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照顾 appears in 1 podcast episode at natural native speed, with full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Synonyms
关心 means 'to be concerned about' — emotional care, asking how someone is. 照顾 is hands-on, physical care (feeding, watching over). A friend 关心 you from far away; a parent 照顾 a sick child at home.
护理 is professional nursing care, used in medical contexts. 照顾 is the everyday word any family member uses. A nurse 护理 patients; a mother 照顾 her child.
Don't confuse 照顾 with
照 alone means 'to shine on,' 'to take (a photo),' or 'according to.' Only the compound 照顾 means 'to look after.' Don't say 我照他 to mean 'I look after him.'
处理 means 'to handle' or 'deal with' problems, tasks, or matters. 照顾 is for people and living things. You 处理 a complaint; you 照顾 a sick grandparent.
FAQ
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