TongTong
Sign in

收获 (shōu huò) — to harvest, to reap; harvest, gains, rewards

Definition

收获 works as both verb and noun: literally 'to harvest' crops, and figuratively 'gains/rewards' from any effort. 成果 and 果实 lean toward abstract results of work, while 收获 keeps the 'gathering in' image.

to harvestto reapharvestgainsrewards

Examples

  • 收获。
    Qiū tiān wǒ men shōu huò le hěn duō shuǐ guǒ.
    In autumn we harvested a lot of fruit.
  • 收获。
    Jīn nián de shōu huò bǐ qù nián duō.
    This year's harvest is more than last year's.
  • 收获。
    Zhè cì xué xí ràng wǒ yǒu hěn duō shōu huò.
    This study session gave me a lot of gains.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

收shōureap
获huògain

收 means reap and 获 means gain, so 收获 means to reap or the gains obtained.

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 獲; 获 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
犭Written in full as犬quǎndog
Sound part声符shēngfú
蒦
蒦huò獲huò
Same sound today

The traditional form 獲 combines 犭 (dog) with 蒦, a sound part, to show catching animals with a dog. The simplified 获 is a later shorthand, so its parts are not the historical components.

Open 获 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5HSK 2.0 Level 5Agriculture & FarmingSuccess & Failure5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.