<ul>
<li><code>关注</code> has different meaning with <code>专心</code> and <code>专注</code>. <code>关注</code> doesn't mean <code>to
concentrate</code>. Usually <code>关注</code> means <code>to care about</code> or <code>to pay attention
to sth</code>.</li>
<li><code>专心</code> and <code>专注</code> are very similar. They can be alternative to each other most of the time, although there are some collocations you can only use one of them.</li>
<li>As for <code>于</code>, it is a preposition, same as <code>on</code> here. If you use <code>专心</code> or <code>专注</code> as a verb (usually a intransitive verb), then you may need it. </li>
<li>Though <code>专心/注</code> can be verb, they are often used as adverb too. In such case, no more <code>于</code>.</li>
<li>The (little) difference between <code>专心/注</code>:

<ul>
<li><code>专心</code> is used more often to describe one's inner condition, while <code>专注</code> is used for one's appearance, look or expression.</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:00:43.927Z
Would be helpful if the answer actually included what is the small dissimilarity between 专心 and 专注
Maria Efremova
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:12:19.587Z
@MariaEfremova Thanks for the advice. Answer edited.
halfelf
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T03:53:48.343Z
2017-05-10T04:11:23.780Z
2017-05-10T04:11:23.780Z
halfelf
<blockquote>
<p>专 = exclusive/concentrate</p>
<p>心 = heart/mind</p>
<p><strong>专心</strong> = <strong>concentrate</strong> (of mind set) *</p>
<ul>
<li><em>not concern about anything else</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Example: 专心读书 (concentrate on study); 专心工作 (concentrate on work)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>专 = exclusive/concentrate</p>
<p>注 = pay attention</p>
<p><strong>专注</strong> = <strong>concentrate</strong> (of attention)  / pay full attention</p>
<ul>
<li><em>pay no attention to anything else</em></li>
</ul>
<p>Example: 专注读书 (pay full attention to one's study); 专注工作 (pay full attention to one's work)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>关注</strong> = 关心 (concern) +  注视 (pay attention to) = <strong>pay serious attention</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>于 is a preposition(on; at; to) before the object. It is better be omitted from phrases like 专心(于)读书 or 专注(于)工作 to make it less wordy.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:55:10.053Z
This is great! To clarify, are there any cases where 于 must be present? Or where having it is incorrect grammatically (vs being wordy)? Thanks again
A Question Asker
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T05:52:49.480Z
The question should be " When can we omit 于?" -- 专心**于**读书 (concentrate **on** study) or 专注**于**工作  (concentrate **on** work) is grammatically correct, but omitting the preposition 于(on) does not change the context. We can omit the preposition if is clearly implied . For example: "I work hard on writing my novel" and "I work hard writing my novel" mean the same thing.
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T06:06:30.793Z
I meant if you need a preposition to connect a verb and a noun, or an adverb and verb, you should has it in place first, and then see if you can omit it. For example, if you omit the 于 in  沉醉于工作 (immerse in work) the meaning of the phrase would become unclear, - 沉醉工作 could mean "he is deeply drunk  while he works."
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T16:44:22.637Z
I see -- very helpful!!
A Question Asker
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T04:07:12.607Z
2017-05-10T04:15:37.940Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>It depend where you use the word:</p>

<p>专心 ----> a general qualification about concentrate, can used in housework, in watching film, walking on the road etc etc.</p>

<p>专注 ---> we talk on a project, a work, or sth need to spend lots of mindwork.</p>

<p>Hope you understand the subtle diffr.</p>

<p>the farther one is: 关注 ---> it's a bit formal word, used more or less in the reportage in news or some charitable activities, eg. we 关注 the degradation of the environement, the famine in some poor area; or eg. The mayor 关注 on the event of the traffic accident/strike.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T09:18:23.350Z
2017-05-10T09:24:37.297Z
2017-05-10T09:24:37.297Z
vivi
<p>I'm struggling with a couple things...first is the ability to know when is the right time to use each of the above, each which seems to more or less mean "to concentrate on".</p>

<p><em>I think</em> 关注 has the meaning more of like, following the news, updates, or something.</p>

<p>And I think 专心 is to concentrate in general, whereas 专注 might be to concentrate at the exclusion of other things... but I have no clue. And I'm struggling to figure out when you need 于 afterwards, and when you don't.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-10T13:10:26.977Z
as if this could not be settled by looking up dictionaries:https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E4%B8%93%E5%BF%83 https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E4%B8%93%E6%B3%A8 https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E5%85%B3%E6%B3%A8 （１００ sample sentences for each at jukuu) http://jukuu.com/search.php?q=%E4%B8%93%E5%BF%83 http://jukuu.com/search.php?q=%E4%B8%93%E6%B3%A8 http://jukuu.com/search.php?q=%E5%85%B3%E6%B3%A8
user6065
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-05-12T18:31:00.303Z
I didn't know about jukuu! That said, I did look things up in a dictionary and wasn't able to get a good enough sense of the difference. I appreciate your suggestion, don't appreciate the snark. Why even bother typing it out? A little rush on the internet? Taking up precious stackexchange space? Grow up.
A Question Asker
<mandarin>
专心 VS 专注 VS 关注, with 于 in the mix
# 专心 VS 专注 VS 关注, with 于 in the mix

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-10)

I'm struggling with a couple things...first is the ability to know when is the right time to use each of the above, each which seems to more or less mean "to concentrate on".

*I think* 关注 has the meaning more of like, following the news, updates, or something.

And I think 专心 is to concentrate in general, whereas 专注 might be to concentrate at the exclusion of other things... but I have no clue. And I'm struggling to figure out when you need 于 afterwards, and when you don't.

**Tags:** mandarin
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: as if this could not be settled by looking up dictionaries:https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E4%B8%93%E5%BF%83 https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E4%B8%93%E6%B3%A8 https://bkrs.info/slovo.php?ch=%E5%85%B3%E6%B3%A8 （１００ sample sentences for each at jukuu) http://jukuu.com/search.php?q=%E4%B8%93%E5%BF%83 http://jukuu.com/search.php?q=%E4%B8%93%E6%B3%A8 http://jukuu.com/search.php?q=%E5%85%B3%E6%B3%A8  
> **username_0**: I didn't know about jukuu! That said, I did look things up in a dictionary and wasn't able to get a good enough sense of the difference. I appreciate your suggestion, don't appreciate the snark. Why even bother typing it out? A little rush on the internet? Taking up precious stackexchange space? Grow up.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-05-10. Score: 3

* `关注` has different meaning with `专心` and `专注`. `关注` doesn't mean `to
  concentrate`. Usually `关注` means `to care about` or `to pay attention
  to sth`.
* `专心` and `专注` are very similar. They can be alternative to each other most of the time, although there are some collocations you can only use one of them.
* As for `于`, it is a preposition, same as `on` here. If you use `专心` or `专注` as a verb (usually a intransitive verb), then you may need it.
* Though `专心/注` can be verb, they are often used as adverb too. In such case, no more `于`.
* The (little) difference between `专心/注`:
  + `专心` is used more often to describe one's inner condition, while `专注` is used for one's appearance, look or expression.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Would be helpful if the answer actually included what is the small dissimilarity between 专心 and 专注  
> **username_2**: @MariaEfremova Thanks for the advice. Answer edited.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-05-10. Score: 2

> 专 = exclusive/concentrate
>
> 心 = heart/mind
>
> **专心** = **concentrate** (of mind set) \*
>
> * *not concern about anything else*
>
> Example: 专心读书 (concentrate on study); 专心工作 (concentrate on work)

~

> 专 = exclusive/concentrate
>
> 注 = pay attention
>
> **专注** = **concentrate** (of attention) / pay full attention
>
> * *pay no attention to anything else*
>
> Example: 专注读书 (pay full attention to one's study); 专注工作 (pay full attention to one's work)

~

> **关注** = 关心 (concern) + 注视 (pay attention to) = **pay serious attention**

于 is a preposition(on; at; to) before the object. It is better be omitted from phrases like 专心(于)读书 or 专注(于)工作 to make it less wordy.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This is great! To clarify, are there any cases where 于 must be present? Or where having it is incorrect grammatically (vs being wordy)? Thanks again  
> **username_4**: The question should be " When can we omit 于?" -- 专心**于**读书 (concentrate **on** study) or 专注**于**工作  (concentrate **on** work) is grammatically correct, but omitting the preposition 于(on) does not change the context. We can omit the preposition if is clearly implied . For example: "I work hard on writing my novel" and "I work hard writing my novel" mean the same thing.  
> **username_4**: I meant if you need a preposition to connect a verb and a noun, or an adverb and verb, you should has it in place first, and then see if you can omit it. For example, if you omit the 于 in  沉醉于工作 (immerse in work) the meaning of the phrase would become unclear, - 沉醉工作 could mean "he is deeply drunk  while he works."  
> **username_0**: I see -- very helpful!!  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2017-05-10. Score: 1

It depend where you use the word:

专心 ----> a general qualification about concentrate, can used in housework, in watching film, walking on the road etc etc.

专注 ---> we talk on a project, a work, or sth need to spend lots of mindwork.

Hope you understand the subtle diffr.

the farther one is: 关注 ---> it's a bit formal word, used more or less in the reportage in news or some charitable activities, eg. we 关注 the degradation of the environement, the famine in some poor area; or eg. The mayor 关注 on the event of the traffic accident/strike.


---

