How to Write 伫 (zhù) — Meaning “To stand for a long time.”

Imagine a person (亻) standing under a roof (the top of 宁) waiting for a bus, and they are so patient that they stand there for a long time. The right part 宁 looks like a small shelter, helping you recall the idea of staying still in one place.

Write the left radical 亻 first (a left-slanting stroke, then a vertical stroke). For the right part 宁, start with the dot on top, then the roof (horizontal stroke with a hook down left), then a horizontal stroke, and finally a vertical hook. A common mistake is writing the roof too wide or forgetting the hook at the end of the vertical stroke.

伫 uses the component 宁 (with a roof and a nail shape), while 什 uses 十 (ten) and 仁 uses 二 (two). In meaning, 伫 means 'to stand for a long time,' 什 means 'what' or 'miscellaneous,' and 仁 means 'benevolence.' Visually, 伫 has more strokes on the right side than the other two.

伫 is mainly used in literary or formal contexts, such as poetry or descriptive writing, to describe someone standing still for a long time, often with emotion or observation. Common words are 伫立 (to stand still for a long time) and 伫望 (to stand and gaze into the distance). It is rarely used in everyday conversation and gives a classical, elegant feel to the text.

Common words containing 伫 include: 伫立 (zhù lì) — To stand still for a long time.; 伫候 (zhù hòu) — To wait while standing.; 伫望 (zhù wàng) — To stand and gaze into the distance..