懂中文 Dong Chinese

着

zhe, zhāo, zháo, zhuó

[progress particle]

Original meaning: 

chopsticks

Simplified form of 著. 艹 represents the meaning and 者 represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "chopsticks", now written as 箸. The modern meanings are phonetic loans.

Components
艹 meaning,simplified component

艹  Meaning Simplified component

cao, cǎo

  

grass

Alludes to bamboo chopsticks. 艹 and ⺮ (bamboo) were often used interchangeably with each other because of their visual and semantic similarity.

者 sound component

者  Sound component

zhě

  

one who...

Evolution

着 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
着 Clerical script Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)

Clerical script

Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
着 Traditional script Modern

Traditional script

Modern
着 Simplified script Modern

Simplified script

Modern
Definitions

着 (著) 

zhe

manifest; (Cant.) to wear; aspect particle indicating action in progress

着 (著) 

zhāo

(chess) move; trick; all right!; (dialect) to add

着 (著) 

zháo

to touch; to come in contact with; to feel; to be affected by; to catch fire; to burn; (coll.) to fall asleep; (after a verb) hitting the mark; succeeding in

着 (著) 

zhuó

to wear (clothes); to contact; to use; to apply

Most common words with 着
Freq.
Word
Meaning

着

[action in progress]

意味着

to signify

有着

to have

接着

to continue

着急

to worry