收受 (shōu shòu) — to receive; to accept (often in official or legal contexts)

Definition

收受 means 'to receive' in a formal, often legal sense — chiefly used when someone in a position of power takes money, gifts, or favors. Pairs with nouns like 贿赂、礼品、好处; not for everyday 'receive'.

verb
to receiveto accept (often in official or legal contexts)

Examples

  • 收受。
    Tā yīn shōu shòu huì lù bèi pàn chǔ wǔ nián yǒu qī tú xíng.
    He was sentenced to five years in prison for accepting bribes.
  • 收受。
    Zhè wèi guān yuán gōng kāi biǎo shì bú huì shōu shòu rèn hé lǐ pǐn.
    This official publicly stated that he would not accept any gifts.
  • 收受。
    Gōng sī yán jìn yuán gōng shōu shòu kè hù de hǎo chù.
    The company strictly prohibits employees from receiving benefits from clients.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

收shōutake in
受shòuaccept

收 'take in' and 受 'accept' combine to mean receive or accept.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
丩
丩jiū收shōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

收 uses 攴 to show an action and 丩 as a sound clue; the old meaning was 'to arrest.'

Open 收 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Open 受 →

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