摄 shè — assist; collect; absorb
摄影师拍下了一张美丽的照片。Shè yǐng shī pāi xià le yì zhāng měi lì de zhào piàn.The photographer took a beautiful photo.
Common words: 拍摄 (pāi shè)、摄影 (shè yǐng)、摄影师 (shè yǐng shī)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "assist"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "assist", including 摄 (shè), 佐 (zuǒ), 衬 (chèn). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "assist" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 摄 (shè), 佐 (zuǒ), 衬 (chèn) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shè, zuǒ, chèn — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 摄 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 摄 shèassist; collect; absorbUseful words: 拍摄, 摄影
- 佐 zuǒassistUseful words: 佐料, 佐证
- 衬 chèngive alms; underwear; to line; lining; contrast; assistUseful words: 衬衫, 衬衣
Common words for these 3 "assist" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 摄 (shè) — so "assist" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
拍摄pāi shèto take (a picture); to shoot (a film)摄影shè yǐngto take a photograph; photography; to shoot (a movie)摄影师shè yǐng shīphotographer; cinematographer; cameraman佐料zuǒ liàocondiments; seasoning佐证zuǒ zhèngevidence; proof; to confirm; corroboration技佐jì zuǒ(Tw) assistant technical specialist (a technical-staff rank in Taiwan's civil service)衬衫chèn shānshirt; blouse衬衣chèn yīshirt衬托chèn tuōto serve to highlight; to serve as a backdrop or contrasting element
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 3 ways to say "assist".
佐 zuǒ — assist
吃饺子的时候，蘸点儿醋当佐料更好吃。Chī jiǎo zi de shí hou, zhàn diǎnr cù dāng zuǒ liào gèng hǎo chī.When eating dumplings, dipping them in vinegar as a condiment makes them tastier.
Common words: 佐料 (zuǒ liào)、佐证 (zuǒ zhèng)、技佐 (jì zuǒ)
衬 chèn — give alms; underwear; to line; lining; contrast; assist
绿叶把红花衬托得更加美丽。Lǜ yè bǎ hóng huā chèn tuō de gèng jiā měi lì.The green leaves set off the red flowers, making them even more beautiful.
Common words: 衬衫 (chèn shān)、衬衣 (chèn yī)、衬托 (chèn tuō)
All 3 characters
Open 摄、佐、衬 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.