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收场 (shōu chǎng) — to end, to wind up, to conclude (a situation, performance, etc.)

Definition

A verb meaning 'to wrap up' or 'bring to a close' — focus on ending a situation, event, or performance cleanly. Often used with 了 to mark completion, or in 收不了场 to mean a mess that can't be tidied up.

verb
to endto wind upto conclude (a situation, performance, etc.)

Examples

  • 收场？
    Zhè jiàn shì zěn me shōu chǎng?
    How will this matter end?
  • ，。
    Tā shōu le chǎng, dà jiā cái lí kāi.
    He ended it, and then everyone left.
  • 。
    Zhè chǎng xì shōu bù liǎo chǎng le.
    This play can't end.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

收shōuclose
场chǎngscene

收, close, and 场, scene, together mean to bring a scene to an end.

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 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 場; 场 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
土土tǔearth
Sound part声符shēngfú
昜
昜yáng場chǎng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 場 pairs 土 (earth) with 昜 as a sound part; the simplified 场 is a later abbreviation, so its parts do not have that historical role.

Open 场 →
Appears in
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