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获取 (huò qǔ) — to obtain; to acquire; to gain

Definition

获取 is a formal verb meaning 'to obtain / acquire,' often used for information, knowledge, or data. More written than 得到, and closer to 获得 than to the neutral 取.

verb
to obtainto acquireto gain

Examples

  • 获取。
    Wǒ cóng zhè běn shū huò qǔ le hěn duō xīn xìn xī.
    I obtained a lot of new information from this book.
  • 获取。
    Gōng sī tōng guò shì chǎng diào chá huò qǔ yòng hù de yì jiàn.
    The company obtains user feedback through market research.
  • ，获取。
    Xiǎng chéng gōng, jiù yào bú duàn huò qǔ xīn zhī shi.
    If you want to succeed, you must continuously acquire new knowledge.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

获huòobtain
取qǔtake

获 and 取 both point to obtaining, so together they mean acquire.

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.

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 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

取 pairs 又 (hand) with 耳 (ear), showing a hand taking an ear, as in taking the ear of fallen prey.

Open 取 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4

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