收下 (shōu xià) — to accept (a gift, payment, etc.), to receive

Definition

收下 means to graciously or formally accept something given to you (a gift, money, kindness). It focuses on the act of accepting what is offered, rather than simply receiving it — often used in polite or gift contexts where the giver's gesture matters.

verb
to accept (a gift, payment, etc.)to receive

Examples

  • 收下。
    Tā gāo xìng dì shōu xià le wǒ de lǐ wù.
    He happily accepted my gift.
  • 收下。
    Qǐng shōu xià zhè diǎn xiǎo xīn yì.
    Please accept this small token of my appreciation.
  • 收下。
    Tā bù hǎo yì si shōu xià nà me duō qián.
    He felt embarrassed to accept so much money.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

收shōureceive
下xiàdown

“收” receives and “下” shows taking it in, together meaning 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 →

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

下 is drawn as a short horizontal line below a long curved line.

Open 下 →

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