Learn a Chinese Character - 聚

1. Character Basics

Radical: 耳/ěr (ear radical, but here it's part of the character structure)

Stroke Count: 14

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: jù (fourth tone)

3. Meaning

gather, assemble, collect, meet, get together, cluster

4. Common Words

• 聚会 (jùhuì) - gathering, party
• 聚集 (jùjí) - gather, assemble
• 集合 (jíhé) - gather, meet
• 欢聚 (huānjù) - happy gathering
• 凝聚 (níngjù) - condense, unite
• 物以类聚 (wù yǐ lèi jù) - birds of a feather flock together

5. Grammar & Usage

As a verb (gather, assemble):

• 后面接名词，表示聚集的对象：聚人 (gather people), 聚财 (gather wealth), 聚气 (gather energy)
• 可带补语：聚齐 (gather completely), 聚散 (gather and disperse)
• 常用于被动结构：被聚在一起 (be gathered together)

Common structures:

• 聚 + 到 + 地点：聚到会议室 (gather in the meeting room)
• 聚 + 名词 + 动词：聚精会神 (gather mind and attention - concentrate)
• 与其他词构成复合词：聚会 (gathering), 聚餐 (dinner gathering)

6. Cultural Background

在中国文化中，"聚"字有着深厚的文化内涵和重要的社会意义：

• 家庭观念：中国人非常重视家庭团聚，尤其是在重要节日如春节、中秋节等，家人团聚是最重要的传统习俗
• 社交文化：聚会是中国人社交生活的重要组成部分，通过聚会增进感情、交流信息
• 哲学思想："聚"与"散"是中国哲学中的一对重要概念，体现了事物的变化和平衡
• 成语文化：有许多与"聚"相关的成语，如"物以类聚"、"聚沙成塔"等，蕴含着丰富的人生智慧
• 传统节日：春节的团圆饭、中秋节的赏月都是"聚"文化的具体体现

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Character Structure Breakdown: 聚 has a complex structure with 耳 (ear) at the top, 又 (hand) in the middle, and 彐 (hand) at the bottom, surrounded by other strokes.

Mnemonic Device: Think of 聚 as representing people (耳) coming together with their hands (又 and 彐) in the center, symbolizing gathering or assembling.

Visual Association: Imagine a group of people (represented by the 耳 and other parts) coming together and joining hands in the middle, which represents the meaning of gathering.

Stroke Order Practice: Focus on the correct stroke order, especially the sequence of the top and middle parts, as this character has 14 strokes.

Related Words: Connect the character to common words like 聚会 (gathering) and 聚集 (assemble) to reinforce your memory.