收

shōu

丩 + 攵

HSK 2.0Level 4

HSK 3.0Level 3

Definitions

shōu (verb) to receive; to collect

shōu (verb) to put away; to store

shōu (verb) to restrain; to stop

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 攵 represents the meaning and 丩 represents the sound.

Semantic: 攵 Phonetic: 丩

About

The character 收 is a phono-semantic compound: 攵 (pū, 'strike, action') carries the meaning, while 丩 (jiū, 'intertwine') supplies the sound. Originally it meant to arrest or detain, with 攵 suggesting the physical force involved in seizing someone. Over time, the sense broadened from seizing persons to the more general notion of receiving, collecting, or harvesting. The left side 丩, depicting twisting or entanglement, contributed to the idea of tangling a captive, while 攵 on the right indicated the action of grasping. Today the character appears in contexts of gathering crops, accepting items, or concluding an activity, showing a shift from forceful apprehension to general acquisition.

Etymology Hide

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我收到一封信。

Wǒ shōu dào yī fēng xìn.

I received a letter.

请收拾桌子。

Qǐng shōushi zhuōzi.

Please tidy up the table.

他每天收快递。

Tā měitiān shōu kuàidì.

He receives packages every day.

我们需要收入证明。

Wǒmen xūyào shōurù zhèngmíng.

We need income proof.

公司决定收费服务。

Gōngsī juédìng shōufèi fúwù.

The company decided to charge for services.

农民秋天收获粮食。

Nóngmín qiūtiān shōuhuò liángshí.

Farmers harvest grain in autumn.

她收藏了很多古董。

Tā shōucáng le hěnduō gǔdǒng.

She has collected many antiques.

政府收回了之前的政策。

Zhèngfǔ shōuhuí le zhīqián de zhèngcè.

The government took back the previous policy.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 丩

Component: 攵

收