召 (zhào) - to summon & to call

召Tone 4

zhào ｜ 5 strokes ｜ radical: 口

丈志

召 · zhào

to summon;

to call;

to convene;

to recruit;

to attract;

a surname

to summonto callto convene

Usage highlights

SummonCall a meetingRecruitmentSummon to courtMobilizeCall back

Synonyms

  • 召唤— to summon; to call
  • 召集— to convene; to call together
  • 召见— to summon for an interview

Antonyms

  • 遣— to send away; to dispatch
  • 散— to disperse; to scatter

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The emperor summoned his ministers (召见大臣).
  • They called an emergency meeting (召开紧急会议).
  • This position recruits new employees (招聘新员工).
  • The magnet attracts iron (磁石召铁).

Collocations

  • Summon(召唤)
  • Call a meeting(召开会议)
  • Recruitment(招聘)
  • Summon to court(召见)
  • Mobilize(召集)
  • Call back(召回)

Idioms

  • To summon and come at will(召之即来)
  • To respond immediately when called(召之即来，挥之即去)
  • The king of Zhou summoned(周召之治)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically used for imperial summons and official appointments.
  • Appears in classical texts describing royal decrees and official recruitment.
  • As a surname, it's relatively rare but has ancient origins.

FAQ