主 zhǔ — to own; to host; master; lord; primary
这家店的主人很热情。Zhè jiā diàn de zhǔ rén hěn rè qíng.The owner of this shop is very warm.
Common words: 主要 (zhǔ yào)、主人 (zhǔ rén)、主任 (zhǔ rèn)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "primary"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "primary", including 主 (zhǔ), 原 (yuán), 元 (yuán). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "primary" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 主 (zhǔ), 原 (yuán), 元 (yuán) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhǔ, yuán — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 主 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 主 zhǔto own; to host; master; lord; primaryUseful words: 主要, 主人
- 原 yuánformer; original; primary; raw; level; causeUseful words: 原因, 原来
- 元 yuán(dynasty); dollar; primary; firstUseful words: 美元, 单元
Common words for these 3 "primary" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 主 (zhǔ) — so "primary" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
主要zhǔ yàomain; principal; major; primary主人zhǔ rénmaster; host; owner主任zhǔ rèndirector; head原因yuán yīncause; origin; root cause; reason原来yuán láioriginal; former; originally; formerly原则yuán zéprinciple; doctrine美元měi yuánAmerican dollar; US dollar单元dān yuánunit (forming an entity); element; (in a residential building) entrance or staircase公元gōng yuánCE (Common Era); Christian Era; AD (Anno Domini)
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 "primary".
原 yuán — former; original; primary; raw; level; cause
原来你也在这里！Yuán lái nǐ yě zài zhè lǐ!So you are here too!
Common words: 原因 (yuán yīn)、原来 (yuán lái)、原则 (yuán zé)
元 yuán — (dynasty); dollar; primary; first
这本书五十元。Zhè běn shū wǔ shí yuán.This book costs fifty yuan.
Common words: 美元 (měi yuán)、单元 (dān yuán)、公元 (gōng yuán)
All 3 characters
Open 主、原、元 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.