注意
zhùyì
In Chinese, attention is expressed as 注意 (zhùyì).
The term 注意 refers to mental focus. It is frequently used in the phrase 请注意 (qǐng zhùyì), which serves as a polite way to say 'Attention, please' or 'Please note' during announcements.
Meaning: mental focus (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 注意 is composed of 注 (zhù), meaning to pour or focus and 意 (yì), meaning meaning or thought/intention.
Which one should you use?
While 注意 refers to the concept of mental focus, 立正 (lìzhèng) is the specific command used to call soldiers to the position of 'attention' in a military context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In Chinese, 注意 can function as both a noun (attention) and a verb (to pay attention to or to notice).
How do you pronounce it?
zhùyì
Did you know?
- The character 注 in 注意 originally referred to pouring water into a vessel. This creates a metaphor where paying attention is like pouring one's consciousness into a specific object.
- The military command 立正 (lìzhèng) literally means 'stand straight'. This differs from 注意 by focusing on the physical posture rather than the mental state.
- When 注意 is used as a warning on signs, such as 'Caution' or 'Watch out', it often appears as 注意安全 (zhùyì ānquán), which literally means 'attention to safety'.
Examples in context
- 你必须注意他。You must pay attention to him.This sentence shows how to use 注意 to express the necessity of paying attention to someone.Tatoeba #1785931 by sadhen, translation #15817 by CK
- 他没有注意她。He paid no attention to her.This sentence demonstrates a negative instance of using 注意 regarding someone.Tatoeba #5085447 by Jubilee11, translation #5085371 by Hybrid
- 她没有注意他。She paid no attention to him.Tatoeba #5085449 by Jubilee11, translation #5085370 by Hybrid
- 同学们，请注意！考试时间到了！Students, please pay attention! It's time for the exam!
- 嘿，你看！那边有一只小狗！Hey, look! There's a little dog over there!
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Junjie and Yuting are walking through a busy street.
- 俊杰 Junjie你要注意路上的车。Nǐ yào zhùyì lùshàng de chē.You need to pay attention to the cars on the road.
- 雨婷 Yuting我知道，我会注意的。Wǒ zhīdào, wǒ huì zhùyì de.I know, I will pay attention.
- 俊杰 Junjie这里的交通非常乱。Zhèlǐ de jiāotōng fēicháng luàn.The traffic here is very chaotic.
- 雨婷 Yuting那我们走慢一点吧。Nà wǒmen zǒu màn yīdiǎn ba.Then let's walk a little slower.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “attention” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
