收割 (shōu gē) — to harvest, to reap | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'to cut and gather': a concrete verb for harvesting grain crops (rice, wheat). Unlike the broader 收获 ('harvest' as gains/rewards, both noun and verb), 收割 refers only to the physical act of cutting ripe crops.

verb

to harvestto reap

Examples

收割。
Nóng mín zài qiū tiān shōu gē shuǐ dào.
Farmers harvest rice in autumn.
收割。
Jīn nián tā men shōu gē le gèng duō xiǎo mài.
This year they harvested more wheat.
收割。
Jī qì kě yǐ kuài sù shōu gē zhuāng jia.
Machines can harvest crops quickly.

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 gathers and 割 cuts, together describing harvesting.

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.'

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

害刂割

Meaning part形符xíngfú

刂Written in full as刀dāo

Sound part声符shēngfú

害

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

割 combines 害, which provides the sound, with 刂, the knife form of 刀, to show cutting.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 7-9 Agriculture & Farming

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