罩

• Pinyin: zhào
• Hanzi breakdown: 罩 = 罒 (net) + 卓 (to excel; phonetic)

Meaning

To cover; to hood; cover; shade; hood. Used as verb (to cover/envelop) or noun (a covering/shade).

As a verb, means to cover or shroud something. As a noun, refers to various coverings: 灯罩 (lampshade), 口罩 (mask), 罩衫 (smock). Can also mean to dominate or protect in slang (罩着你).

Examples

1. 浓雾笼罩着整座城市，能见度极低。 Dense fog blanketed the entire city, and visibility was extremely low.
2. 请给鸟笼罩上一块布，让它安静下来。 Please cover the birdcage with a cloth so it will calm down.
3. 这盏台灯的灯罩设计得既美观又实用。 The lampshade on this desk lamp is designed to be both attractive and practical.

Usage Guide

Context: covering, weather, objects

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 阴云罩顶，看来马上要下雨了。(Dark clouds are covering overhead; it looks like it's about to rain.)
• 出门记得戴口罩，防止吸入灰尘。(Remember to wear a mask when you go out to prevent inhaling dust.)

Don't Say

• 罩盖 interchangeably with 遮盖 in all contexts — 罩 emphasizes complete covering like a dome; 遮盖 emphasizes hiding or blocking

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 罒 (net radical) + 卓 (phonetic)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal