购 (gòu) — to purchase, to buy (formal/literary)
Definition
购 (gòu) is a formal/literary verb for 'buy / purchase', almost always paired with 入 (购入) or 买 (购买). Use it in business, news, or official writing rather than everyday speech — for casual 'buy', learners should reach for 买.
verb
to purchaseto buy (formal/literary)
Examples
- 。Tā zài wǎng shàng gòu mǎi le yì běn cí diǎn.He bought a dictionary online.
- 。Gōng sī gòu rù le zuì xīn de shè bèi.The company purchased the latest equipment.
- 。Wǒ gòu dé le liǎng zhāng yǎn chàng huì de piào.I obtained two tickets to the concert.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 購; 购 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
貝貝bèishellfish
Sound part声符shēngfú
冓
冓gòu購gòu
Same sound today
The traditional form 購 pairs 貝, a shellfish, with 冓, which gives the sound; the simplified 购 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
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