指着

指著

zhǐzhe

verb HSK 6

Meanings

1 pointing at
2 while pointing

Characters

to point; finger

aspect particle indicating ongoing action

Examples

他指着地图说：“我们在这里。”

Tā zhǐ zhe dìtú shuō: "Wǒmen zài zhèlǐ."

He pointed at the map and said, "We're here."

别指着别人，这样不礼貌。

Bié zhǐ zhe biérén, zhèyàng bù lǐmào.

Don't point at people, it's impolite.

她指着窗外的那棵树。

Tā zhǐ zhe chuāng wài de nà kē shù.

She pointed at the tree outside the window.

妈妈指着我的房间说：“快去收拾！”

Māma zhǐ zhe wǒ de fángjiān shuō: "Kuài qù shōushi!"

Mom pointed at my room and said, "Go clean up now!"

Tips

grammar

着 (zhe) after a verb indicates a continuous or ongoing state. 指着 describes the action of pointing while doing something else, often followed by another verb: 指着...说.

culture

In Chinese culture, pointing directly at someone with your finger is considered rude. When indicating a person, it's more polite to gesture with an open hand.

Stroke Order

指 zhǐ

着 zhe