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March 24, 2026
督dū(du1)
The character 督 (dū) primarily means to supervise or oversee tasks or activities, often in an authoritative capacity. It can also refer to a historical military title, denoting a supervisory role within the army. It is commonly used in contexts involving management, education, or governance.
Strokes13Radical目Frequency#5330DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese history, the role of a 督 (dū) was vital in maintaining order and discipline within military units, reflecting the importance of supervision in both historical and modern contexts. This concept is deeply rooted in Confucian values of hierarchy and responsibility.
Memory Tip
Imagine a 'duke' (dū) wearing a large hat overseeing a busy market. The hat represents authority, while the market symbolizes the tasks being supervised. The character 督 visually resembles a person (the top part) overseeing something below (the bottom part), reinforcing the concept of supervision.
Meanings of 督
dū(du1)
1to supervise and direct
2army title (archaic)
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 督
督Simplified
13Strokes
目Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#5330Frequency Rank
Podcast: 督
Podcast: 督
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AI Study Notes for 督
Quick Contrast
督 (dū) vs 监 (jiān) — use 督 when emphasizing supervisory authority, while 监 focuses more on monitoring or surveillance.
Usage Notes
Learners should note that 督 is often used in formal contexts, such as in business or government. A common collocation is 督导 (dūdǎo), meaning to guide or supervise. Be careful with tone; mispronouncing it as 'dù' can change the meaning entirely.
HSK Study Tips
Although 督 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary, it connects well with other HSK words related to supervision and management, such as 管理 (guǎnlǐ - management) and 指导 (zhǐdǎo - guidance). Students should focus on its usage in compound words and phrases.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 督 with similar-sounding words like 杜 (dù), which means to stop or prevent. An incorrect example is using 督 to mean 'to stop' instead of 'to supervise'; the correct word in that context would be 杜.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 督
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Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 叔 represents the sound.
1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
2The sound half叔 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayeye
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 督? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 督?
Decomposition of 督
IDS Structure⿱叔目
督Full Character
=
叔shu1
top
目mu4
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 督?
How to say to supervise and direct in Chinese
“to supervise and direct” in Chinese is督dū
The character 督 (dū) primarily means to supervise or oversee tasks or activities, often in an authoritative capacity. It can also refer to a historical military title, denoting a supervisory role within the army. It is commonly used in contexts involving management, education, or governance.
When to use 督
Learners should note that 督 is often used in formal contexts, such as in business or government. A common collocation is 督导 (dūdǎo), meaning to guide or supervise. Be careful with tone; mispronouncing it as 'dù' can change the meaning entirely.
督 or something close to it
督 (dū) vs 监 (jiān) — use 督 when emphasizing supervisory authority, while 监 focuses more on monitoring or surveillance.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 督 with similar-sounding words like 杜 (dù), which means to stop or prevent. An incorrect example is using 督 to mean 'to stop' instead of 'to supervise'; the correct word in that context would be 杜.
Write 督
督
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Practice writing 督 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 督
督 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.
Exercise 1 of 4
Complete the Sentence
科普特教会是最古老的基____教会之一。
The Coptic Church is among the oldest churches of Christianity.
