Definitions

(verb) to fetch; to take; to get
(verb) to choose

Etymology

Pictograph of a hand () grabbing an ear (). In ancient China, the ears of opponents in battle were cut off and collected as tokens of victory.

About

The character "取" is structurally composed of the components for "ear" (耳) and "hand" (又), a configuration that etymologically references the ancient practice of collecting ears from defeated foes as proof of capture, thus grounding its primary sense of taking or seizing. Over centuries, this meaning extended from physical appropriation to include abstract actions like choosing, adopting, or deriving, as seen in its role within compounds such as 取款 (to withdraw money) or 取决 (to depend on). This evolution has allowed the character to maintain its core conceptual basis while adapting to diverse linguistic contexts, from concrete retrieval to metaphorical acceptance or extraction.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Warring States (~250 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

钱要去银行。

Qǔ qián yào qù yínháng.

To withdraw money, you need to go to the bank.

我下楼去快递。

Wǒ xiàlóu qù qǔ kuàidì.

I'm going downstairs to pick up the delivery package.

得了很好的成绩。

Tā qǔdéle hěn hǎo de chéngjī.

He achieved very good results.

请认真听大家的意见。

Qǐng rènzhēn tīngqǔ dàjiā de yìjiàn.

Please listen carefully to everyone's opinions.

从网上可以获很多信息。

Cóng wǎngshàng kěyǐ huòqǔ hěnduō xìnxī.

You can acquire a lot of information from the internet.

公司决定消这次会议。

Gōngsī juédìng qǔxiāo zhè cì huìyì.

The company decided to cancel this meeting.

我们要从失败中汲教训。

Wǒmen yào cóng shībài zhōng jíqǔ jiàoxun.

We must learn a lesson from our failure.

研究人员正在现场样。

Yánjiū rényuán zhèngzài xiànchǎng qǔyàng.

The researchers are taking samples on site.