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获知 (huò zhī) — to learn (of), to find out, to get to know (information)

Definition

获知 is a formal verb meaning 'to learn of / find out' information — more literary than 知道, which is the everyday neutral verb. It focuses on receiving news or facts, not on people (use 认识).

verb
to learn (of)to find outto get to know (information)

Examples

  • 获知。
    Wǒ cóng xīn wén zhōng huò zhī liǎo zhè ge xiāo xi.
    I learned of this news from the news report.
  • ，获知。
    Jīng guò xiáng xì diào chá, wǒ men huò zhī liǎo shì gù de yuán yīn.
    After a detailed investigation, we found out the cause of the accident.
  • 获知。
    Tā gāng huò zhī zì jǐ huò dé le jiǎng xué jīn.
    He just learned that he received a scholarship.

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
知zhīknow

获 contributes obtaining, and 知 contributes knowing, so together they mean to learn or find out.

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.

An early form of 知 showed 大 (adult), 口 (mouth), and 子 (child): an adult speaking to a child to pass on knowledge. The 子 part was dropped, and the 大 part changed shape.

Open 知 →
Appears in
Thinking & Cognition

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