# Pronunciation: 著重, 著想



## yuechu

大家好！

The dictionary says that 著重 is pronounced zhuózhòng. I was wondering if the pronunciation zháozhòng is also possible? (I was thinking of 着想 which can be pronounced either zhuóxiǎng or zháoxiǎng)
Thanks!


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## SimonTsai

The pronunciations are always (zhuo, 2) (zhong, 4) and (zhao, 2) (xiang, 3).


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## yuechu

Hi, SimonTsai!
OK, thanks! (The dictionary also has the pronunciation zhuóxiǎng for 着想  but maybe it is not used... ?)


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## ScapCai

SimonTsai said:


> The pronunciations are always (zhuo, 2) (zhong, 4) and (zhao, 2) (xiang, 3).


A bit disagree with you, bro, In mainland "着想” is pronounced "zhuó xiǎng", not "zháoxiǎng",only one pronunciation.


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## albert_laosong

without checking dictionary, only my first feeling:
着想：I think most people would say *zhao xiang*.  but it's quite acceptable if people say *zhuo xiang*.
着重 and 著重：I think most people use 着重 and say *zhuo zhong*，but *zhao zhong* is also acceptable.
著重 is much less often used than 着重,  and I would pronounce it as *zhuo zhong*, I don't know 著 can also be pronounced as *zhao*?
And I think it might be easy for people to pronounce 著重 wrongly as *zhu zhong*, confusing it with 注重.



ScapCai said:


> A bit disagree with you, bro, In mainland "着想” is pronounced "zhuó xiǎng", not "zháoxiǎng",only one pronunciation.


I disagree, most people pronounce it as *zhao xiang* I think.


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## SimonTsai

May I ask in which dictionary you looked it up, @yuechu?

There is a catchy advertising slogan which includes a pun: '只有澡享，一切為你著想'.


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## albert_laosong

SimonTsai said:


> There is a catchy advertising slogan which includes a pun: '只有澡享，一切為你著想'.


I have seen 著想 before, but definitely very rarely. However when used in ads, definitely 著想 looks classier than 着想


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## SuperXW

In Mainland China, although there would be a "correct sound" defined in the dictionary, you may hear people say both in daily life.


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## SimonTsai

'*著 (zhao, 2)** 火*' literally means to get on fire.

'*著 (zhao, 2)** 涼*' literally means to get cold, and typically then catch a common cold because of the weakened immune system.

'*著 (zhao, 2) **魔*' literally means to get possessed by one or more demons, and figuratively means to be bewitched by someone, such as a lady of astounding beauty, or something, such as a voice that is as enchanting as if from sirens.

From the above, we may notice that '*著*', when pronounced *(zhao, 2)*, seems to mean to reach a specified state or condition.  Since '*著想*' may be literally interpreted as getting thinking about something, it is pronounced '*(zhao, 2) (xiang, 3)*'.

'*著 (zhuo, 2) 手*' literally means to place your hand on the object upon which you are going to exert effort. The '*著*' is transitive, so is that in '*著**重*', which means to emphasise something, and is pronounced '*(zhuo, 2) (zhong, 4)*'.


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## SuperXW

SimonTsai said:


> From the above, we may notice that '*著*', when pronounced *(**zhao, 2)*, seems to mean to reach a specified state or condition.  Since '*著想*' may be literally interpreted as getting thinking about something, it is pronounced '*(zhao, 2)(xiang, 3)*'.
> 
> '*著 (zhuo, 2) 手*' literally means to place your hand on the object upon which you are going to exert effort. The '*著*' is transitive, so is that in '*著**重*', which means to emphasise something, and is pronounced '*(zhuo, 2) (zhong, 4)*'.


How do you explain if I feel "从这方面着想" and "从这方面着手" have the same structure?


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## SimonTsai

*著* (verb) 火 (complement) ==> (zh*a*o, 2)
*著* (verb) 想 (complement) ==> (zh*a*o, 2)

*著* (verb) 手 (object) ======> (zh*u*o, 2)
*著* (verb) 重 (object) ======> (zh*u*o, 2)


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## Skatinginbc

著重(於)某方面 = 置重點於某方面 = 把重點放在某方面。

「著重」的「著」是「置」的意思。 作「置」解的「著」, 中古讀 「直略切」(見康熙字典)，與作「附」解的「著」(as in 附著) 同音。

同理，著想 = 設想 = 置想，著 = 置，所以有人堅稱 「著zhuo2想」才是「正確」發音。

假如「著zhao2想」可行，那麼「著zhao2重」理論上應亦可行 (雖然我還沒親耳聽過別人說「著zhao2重」)。

中古的「直略切」(入聲字), 相當於現代的 zhuo2/zhao2, 台語則讀 tiok (文讀)/tioh (白讀)。

感覺 zhuo2 是讀音，zhao2 是(地方)語音。


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## yuechu

SimonTsai said:


> May I ask in which dictionary you looked it up, @yuechu?


I checked in Zhongwen Chinese Popup Dictionary. (I think it is probably based off of CEDict)

Thank you all for your replies!


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## SimonTsai

SimonTsai said:


> *著* (verb) 想 (complement) ==> (zh*a*o, 2)


平心而論，我其實不確定「著」在「著想」，究竟是甚麼意思。提出以上說法，不過是試圖解釋：「著」在「著想」，為甚麼讀作 (zhao, 2) 而非 (zhuo, 2) 。@Skatinginbc 的解釋有理，我的不必然正確。


Skatinginbc said:


> 感覺 zhuo2 是讀音，zhao2 是(地方) 語音。


在臺灣，據我所知，現在已很少有人能區別語音與讀音；這在國民教育中並未被強調。


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