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助 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
助zhùto helpHSK 5, v, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #4744, Hard
助zhùto assistHSK 5, v, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #4744, Hard
助zhùto help, to aid, to assistHSK 5, v, 7 strokes, radical 力, rank #4744, Hard
zhù(zhu4) T4
  1. 1to help
  2. 2to assist
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
助zhù(zhu4)

The character 助 (zhù) means 'to help' or 'to assist.' It is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts, often relating to providing support or aid to someone in need. The nuance can imply a sense of collaboration or partnership in various activities.

Strokes7Radical力Frequency#4744DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others is deeply ingrained in social interactions and community life, often seen in family and friend dynamics where mutual assistance is expected.

Memory Tip

Imagine a superhero (助) lifting someone up to help them. The character has a person (亻) on the left side, representing someone, and the right side sounds like 'zhu' which you can remember as 'zoo'—where helpers assist animals.

Meanings of 助

zhù(zhu4)
1to help
2to assist
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 助

助Simplified
7Strokes
力Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#4744Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L5

Podcast: 助

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Podcast: 助

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AI Study Notes for 助

Quick Contrast

帮助 (bāngzhù) vs 协助 (xiézhù) — use 助 (zhù) for a more general sense of help, while 帮助 (bāngzhù) implies direct assistance, and 协助 (xiézhù) suggests a more formal or cooperative support.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a superhero (助) lifting someone up to help them. The character has a person (亻) on the left side, representing someone, and the right side sounds like 'zhu' which you can remember as 'zoo'—where helpers assist animals.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the context; 助 can be used in both formal and everyday situations, but in more formal settings, you might encounter 助理 (zhùlǐ) meaning 'assistant.' Common collocations include 助手 (zhùshǒu) for 'helper' and 助力 (zhùlì) meaning 'to provide assistance.'

HSK Study Tips

While 助 is not currently listed in the HSK levels, it is valuable for learners at HSK 3 and above. Students should focus on its usage in contexts of assistance and support, connecting it to phrases like 帮助 (bāngzhù) which means 'to help.'

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others is deeply ingrained in social interactions and community life, often seen in family and friend dynamics where mutual assistance is expected.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 助 with 帮 (bāng), thinking they are interchangeable. For example, saying '我能助你' (Wǒ néng zhù nǐ) is less common; it's better to say '我能帮你' (Wǒ néng bāng nǐ).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 助

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Etymology of 助

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 力 represents the meaning and 且 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

strength

Semantic (meaning)力
+
Phonetic (sound)且
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 助?

Decomposition of 助

IDS Structure⿰且力
助Full Character
=
且qie3
left
力Li4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 助?

Write 助

助

Practice writing 助 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 助

助 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

她很愿意帮____同学。

She is very willing to help her classmates.

Example Sentences for 助 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
她既然主动提出帮助照看孩子，我也就同意了。

tā jì rán zhǔ dòng tí chū bāng zhù zhào kàn hái zǐ， ， wǒ yě jiù tóng yì。

Since she'd offered to babysit, I took her up on it.
2
我拒绝接受帮助的时候时常显得粗鲁无礼。

wǒ jù jué jiē shòu bāng zhù de shí hòu shí cháng xiǎn dé cū lǔ wú lǐ。

I was often rude and ungracious in refusing help.
3
我非常渴望能够帮助和照顾他人。

wǒ fēi cháng kě wàng néng gòu bāng zhù hé zhào gù tā rén。

I had a strong desire to help and care for people.
4
你应该为了自己寻求专业人士的帮助。

nǐ yīng gāi wéi le zì jǐ xún qiú zhuān yè rén shì de bāng zhù。

You owe it to yourself to get some professional help.
5
向导程序和模板可以帮助你创建手册、日历和网页。

xiàng dǎo chéng xù hé mó bǎn kě yǐ bāng zhù nǐ chuàng jiàn shǒu cè、 、 rì lì hé wǎng。

Wizards and templates can help you create brochures, calendars, and Web pages.
6
你必须输入命令,例如“帮助”或“打印”.

nǐ bì xū shū rù mìng líng, , lì“ rú “” bāng“ zhù ””.

You have to type in commands, such as "help" and "print"
7
催眠疗法可能有助于你戒烟。

cuī mián liáo fǎ kě néng yǒu zhù yú nǐ jiè yān。

Hypnotherapy can be useful in helping you give up smoking.
8
考虑一下你对投保的看法也许有所助益。

kǎo lǜ yī xià nǐ duì tóu bǎo de kàn fǎ yě xǔ yǒu suǒ zhù yì。

It might be worthwhile to consider your attitude to an insurance policy.
9
当局会派一名义工来帮助你。

dāng jú huì pài yī míng yì gōng lái bāng zhù nǐ。

The Authority will provide a welfare worker to assist you.
10
希拉想帮助斯坦是另有所图的。

xī lā xiǎng bāng zhù sī tǎn shì lìng yǒu suǒ tú de。

Sheila had an ulterior motive for trying to help Stan.

Cultural Notes for 助

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of helping others is deeply ingrained in social interactions and community life, often seen in family and friend dynamics where mutual assistance is expected.

Word Family of 助

Compounds6
锄chu2hoe; to eradicate, to weed out
筯
勗
耡
莇
鋤chu2hoe; to eradicate, to weed out
Words Containing This Character20
帮助bāngzhùaid幫助
助理zhùlǐassistant
援助yuánzhùto help
协助xiézhùto aid協助
助手zhùshǒuassistant
助zhùto help
救助jiùzhùaid
资助zīzhùto subsidize資助
有助于yǒuzhùyúto contribute to有助於
赞助zànzhùto support贊助
辅助fǔzhùto assist輔助
借助jièzhùto draw support from
求助qiúzhùto request help
补助bǔzhùsubsidy補助
无助helpless無助
自助zìzhùself-service
捐助juānzhùto donate
互助hùzhùHuzhu Tuzu autonomous county in Haidong prefecture 海東地區|海东地区[Hǎi​dōng​dì​qū], Qinghai
自助餐buffet
相助to help one another
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 锄 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 助

You can say '我可以帮助你' (Wǒ kěyǐ bāngzhù nǐ), which means 'I can help you.'