How to Write 着 (zhāo/zháo/zhe/zhuó) — Meaning “To wear; to touch; (particle indicating a state).”

Picture an eye (目) looking at a person wearing a large floppy hat; the hat covers the head like the top part of the character. The shape of the bottom part looks like a bent leg stepping forward, reminding you that 着 can mean 'to touch' or 'to land' (like a move in chess).

The top radical 目 must be narrow and slightly flattened, not too wide. The bottom part has four strokes: a leftward sweep, then a vertical hook, and two inner strokes—make sure the hook curves inward, not outward. A common mistake is writing the bottom part like 者 (zhě), so keep the eye on top distinct.

着 has 目 on top and a different bottom, while 相 (xiāng) uses 木 (tree) on the left and 目 on the right, meaning 'mutual' or 'appearance'. 盹 (dǔn) has 目 on the left and 屯 on the right, meaning 'doze off'—only 着 can mean 'wearing' or act as a continuous aspect particle (e.g., 看着). Visually, 着 is taller and the bottom is not a complete 木 or 屯.

着 is very common as a continuous aspect particle after verbs, like 看着 (watching) or 听着 (listening), indicating an ongoing action. It also appears in phrases like 着急 (zháo jí, anxious) and 着数 (a move in chess or a trick). Culturally, using 着 in 看着办 (kàn zhe bàn, 'see what happens') reflects a pragmatic, wait-and-see attitude common in Chinese communication.

Common words containing 着 include: 看着 (kàn zhe) — looking at; watching; 听着 (tīng zhe) — Listen; listening.; 着数 (zhāo shù) — A move in a game (like chess) or a tactic/trick..