收获

• Pinyin: shōu huò
• Hanzi breakdown: 收 = 丩 (to twist) + 攵 (to tap), meaning to gather; 获 = 犭(animal) + 蒦 (phonetic), originally meaning to catch prey

Meaning

Harvest; gains; to reap. Refers to both literal crop harvesting and figurative gains from experience.

As a verb, means to harvest crops or to gain results from effort. As a noun, refers to the harvest itself or the gains, knowledge, and experience obtained from an activity. Very commonly used figuratively in Chinese.

Examples

1. 今年农民的收获比去年多。 The farmers' harvest this year was bigger than last year's.
2. 这次旅行让我收获了很多。 This trip gave me a lot of gains.
3. 经过一学期的学习，他收获很大。 After a semester of studying, he gained a great deal.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, education, personal growth

Tone: positive

Do Say

• 这次实习让我收获了很多工作经验。(This internship helped me gain a lot of work experience.)
• 秋天是收获的季节。(Autumn is the season of harvest.)

Don't Say

• 我收获了一个新手机。(Don't use 收获 for simply receiving or buying something — it implies effort or a natural process leading to gain.)

Origin & History

Compound of 收 (to collect, to receive) and 获 (to obtain, to catch), combining two verbs meaning to gather and gain.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal