Definitions

zhāo (verb) to beckon; to wave to
zhāo (verb) to recruit; to hire
zhāo (verb) to provoke; to incur
zhāo (noun) technique; move; maneuver
zhāo (verb,adjective) to infect; contagious

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

About

The character 招, formed by the hand radical 扌 combined with the phonetic component 召, originally conveyed the physical action of beckoning or summoning through hand gestures. This foundational sense, tied to manual motion, gradually broadened to encompass abstract and metaphorical uses, including to recruit, attract, or incur, as seen in compounds such as 招聘 for employment or 招致 for bringing about an effect. Over time, its semantic field further extended to admissions or acknowledgments, exemplified by 招认 meaning to confess, reflecting a progression from literal summoning to various figurative applications within the language.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他向我手问好。

Tā xiàng wǒ zhāo shǒu wèn hǎo.

He waved to me to say hello.

这家公司聘程序员。

Zhè jiā gōngsī zhāopìn chéngxù yuán.

This company is recruiting programmers.

妈妈待客人喝茶。

Māma zhāodài kèrén hē chá.

Mom serves tea to guests.

这个广告来不少顾客。

Zhège guǎnggào zhāo lái bùshǎo gùkè.

This advertisement attracted quite a few customers.

工启事贴在墙上。

Zhāogōng qǐshì tiē zài qiáng shàng.

The job recruitment notice is posted on the wall.

他的新数很有效果。

Tā de xīn zhāoshù hěn yǒu xiàoguǒ.

His new move is very effective.

公司考职员的要求很高。

Gōngsī zhāokǎo zhíyuán de yāoqiú hěn gāo.

The company's requirements for recruiting staff are very high.

领失物的公告已经发出。

Zhāolǐng shīwù de gōnggào yǐjīng fāchū.

The announcement for claiming lost property has been issued.