专 zhuān — for a particular person; occasion; purpose; focused on one thing; special; expert
他是一位电脑专家。Tā shì yí wèi diàn nǎo zhuān jiā.He is a computer expert.
Common words: 专家 (zhuān jiā)、专业 (zhuān yè)、专门 (zhuān mén)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "purpose"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "purpose", including 专 (zhuān), 宗 (zōng), 旨 (zhǐ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "purpose" covers 3 different Chinese characters — 专 (zhuān), 宗 (zōng), 旨 (zhǐ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 3 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zhuān, zōng, zhǐ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 专 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 专 zhuānfor a particular person; occasion; purpose; focused on one thing; special; expertUseful words: 专家, 专业
- 宗 zōngschool; sect; purpose; model; ancestor; familyUseful words: 宗教, 宗旨
- 旨 zhǐimperial decree; purport; aim; purposeUseful words: 宗旨, 旨在
Common words for these 3 "purpose" characters
Anchor each of these 3 characters in a word you can picture — start with 专 (zhuān) — so "purpose" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
专家zhuān jiāexpert; specialist专业zhuān yèspecialty; specialized field; main field of study (at university); major专门zhuān ménspecialized; dedicated (to a particular field or purpose); specially; specifically (for a particular purpose)宗教zōng jiàoreligion宗旨zōng zhǐobjective; aim; goal正宗zhèng zōngorthodox school; fig. traditional; old school; authentic宗旨zōng zhǐobjective; aim; goal旨在zhǐ zàito have as its purpose; to be intended to; to aim to (do sth)要旨yào zhǐthe gist (of a text or argument); the main points
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 "purpose".
宗 zōng — school; sect; purpose; model; ancestor; family
我们要记住祖宗的教导。Wǒ men yào jì zhù zǔ zōng de jiào dǎo.We should remember the teachings of our ancestors.
Common words: 宗教 (zōng jiào)、宗旨 (zōng zhǐ)、正宗 (zhèng zōng)
旨 zhǐ — imperial decree; purport; aim; purpose
这次活动旨在让大家了解传统文化。Zhè cì huó dòng zhǐ zài ràng dà jiā liǎo jiě chuán tǒng wén huà.This event aims to help everyone understand traditional culture.
Common words: 宗旨 (zōng zhǐ)、旨在 (zhǐ zài)、要旨 (yào zhǐ)
All 3 characters
Open 专、宗、旨 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.