叮嘱
Traditional: 叮囑
dīng zhǔ HSK 6

English Meaning

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📚 Example Sentences

妈妈叮嘱我注意安全。
Māma dīngzhǔ wǒ zhùyì ānquán.
Mom urged me repeatedly to pay attention to safety.
他叮嘱学生按时完成作业。
Tā dīngzhǔ xuéshēng ànshí wánchéng zuòyè.
He repeatedly advised the students to finish their homework on time.
医生叮嘱病人按时吃药。
Yīshēng dīngzhǔ bìngrén ànshí chīyào.
The doctor urged the patient again and again to take medicine on time.
妈妈叮嘱我。
Māmā dīngzhǔ wǒ.
Mom urges me.
老师叮嘱学生。
Lǎoshī dīngzhǔ xuésheng.
The teacher advises the students.

💡 Memory Tip

Think of the character 叮 (dīng), which resembles the sound of a repeated 'ding' like an alarm or reminder, combined with 嘱 (zhǔ, to enjoin). Imagine someone 'dinging' you again and again with an important instruction to remember it.

📝 Usage Notes

It is used in both spoken and written Chinese, in neutral to slightly formal registers. It is very common in contexts involving care, instruction, or caution, such as parents talking to children, doctors to patients, or friends giving earnest advice. It often describes a one-way action from the speaker to the listener.

📖 Grammar Points

Often used with adverbs like 再三 (zàisān, 'repeatedly') or 反复 (fǎnfù, 'again and again') to emphasize the repetition. Common structure: Subject + 叮嘱 + Person + (要) + Verb Phrase, e.g., 妈妈叮嘱我要小心 (Mom urged me repeatedly to be careful).

🏯 Cultural Notes

Reflects a cultural emphasis on caring through persistent guidance, common in familial and hierarchical relationships where elders or superiors show concern through repeated reminders. It often carries a warm, protective tone rather than being seen as nagging.

🔄 Similar Words

It is similar to 嘱咐 (zhǔfù), which also means 'to enjoin' or 'to tell,' but 叮嘱 emphasizes more repetition and earnestness due to worry. 提醒 (tíxǐng) means 'to remind' but is more general and neutral, without the connotation of repeated, caring urging.

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