Pour, Note, Attention

Interesting Fact

Here's a fun way to understand 注目 (ちゅうもく), "pay attention / focus on." 👀 The character 注 carries the idea of directing or pouring something toward a target, while 目 means "eye." So you can imagine literally pouring your eyes toward something until all your visual attention is concentrated there. It sounds funny in English, but it gives the Japanese word a surprisingly memorable image.