回收

• Pinyin: huí shōu
• Hanzi breakdown: 回 = to return; 收 = to collect/receive

Meaning

To recycle; to reclaim; to recover. Collecting used items for reprocessing or reuse.

Primarily used for recycling materials like plastic, paper, and metal. Also used for reclaiming assets, recovering funds, or retrieving spacecraft. Common in environmental and business contexts.

Examples

1. 这个小区有专门的垃圾回收站。 This residential area has a dedicated recycling station.
2. 废旧电池应该送到专门的地方回收。 Used batteries should be sent to a special place for recycling.
3. 公司正在想办法回收拖欠的货款。 The company is looking for ways to recover overdue payments.

Usage Guide

Context: environment, recycling, business, finance

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 这些瓶子可以回收利用。(These bottles can be recycled.)
• 资金回收需要多长时间？(How long will it take to recover the funds?)

Don't Say

• 我要回收我的朋友 (回收 is for materials/assets/money, not for people — use 找回 for reconnecting with people)

Origin & History

Compound of 回 (to return) + 收 (to collect), meaning to collect back.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal