收拢 (shōu lǒng) — to gather together, to draw in (something spread out); (derogatory) to win over, to draw someone to one's side (by improper means)

Definition

Verb meaning 'to gather in / draw together' something spread out — close a net, fold an umbrella. In a derogatory sense, it means to win someone over by improper means (e.g., money or favors).

verb
to gather togetherto draw in (something spread out)(derogatory) to win overto draw someone to one's side (by improper means)

Examples

  • 收拢，。
    Yú fū men hé lì shōu lǒng yú wǎng, shōu huò le bù shǎo yú.
    The fishermen pulled in the net together and caught a lot of fish.
  • ，收拢。
    Yǔ tíng le, tā màn màn shōu lǒng yǔ sǎn.
    The rain stopped, and he slowly closed his umbrella.
  • 收拢。
    Nà ge zhèng kè yòng jīn qián shōu lǒng le jǐ gè yì yuán de zhī chí.
    That politician used money to win over the support of several legislators.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

收shōugather
拢lǒngdraw together

收 and 拢 both mean to gather or draw together, so together they express gathering something in.

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 攏; 拢 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
手手shǒuhand
Sound part声符shēngfú
龍
龍lóng攏lǒng
Same sound today

The traditional form 攏 combines 手 (hand) with 龍 for sound; the simplified 拢 is a shorthand, so its right side is not the historical 龍.

Open 拢 →

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