Definitions

chù (verb) to touch; to make contact with
chù (verb) to stir up emotions

Etymology

Simplified form of . Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

The character "触" originates from its traditional form "觸", a composite character combining the radical "角" meaning horn with the component "蜀" primarily functioning as a phonetic element, originally conveying the specific action of butting or goring with horns. Over time, its meaning expanded from this concrete physical act to encompass broader notions of touch, contact, and interaction, eventually extending to abstract senses such as triggering or influencing events. The structural evolution to the simplified "触" involved replacing the right-hand "蜀" with "虫", a graphical reduction that retains the "角" radical but severs the phonetic link, yet the character's core semantic journey from physical impact to metaphorical connection remains evident in its modern usage.

Etymology Hide

Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

摸了小猫。

Wǒ chùmō le xiǎo māo.

I touched the kitten.

不要接热水。

Bùyào jiēchù rè shuǐ.

Do not touch hot water.

动了开关。

Tā chùdòng le kāiguān.

He triggered the switch.

这个故事动了我的心。

Zhège gùshi chùdòngle wǒ de xīn.

This story touched my heart.

新事物能增长知识。

Jiēchù xīn shìwù néng zēngzhǎng zhīshi.

Contact with new things can increase knowledge.

摸屏技术现在很普及。

Chùmō píng jìshù xiànzài hěn pǔjí.

Touch screen technology is very common now.

他的行为犯了法律。

Tā de xíngwéi chùfànle fǎlǜ.

His behavior violated the law.

这项政策发了社会的广泛讨论。

Zhè xiàng zhèngcè chùfāle shèhuì de guǎngfàn tǎolùn.

This policy triggered widespread discussion in society.