拾

• Pinyin: shí
• Hanzi breakdown: 拾 = 扌(hand) + 合 (gather/close)

Meaning

To pick up; to collect; to gather (from the ground).

A more formal or literary way to say 捡 (jiǎn). Used for picking up things from the ground or collecting scattered items. Also appears in the idiom 拾金不昧 (returning money one has found). In financial contexts, 拾 is the formal version of 十 (ten) used on checks to prevent fraud.

Examples

1. 他在路边拾到了一个钱包。 He found a wallet by the roadside.
2. 孩子们在海边拾贝壳玩。 The children were playing picking up seashells at the beach.
3. 她弯腰拾起地上的纸巾。 She bent down to pick up the tissue from the ground.

Usage Guide

Context: written, literary, idioms

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 拾金不昧是美德。(Returning found money is a virtue.)
• 他拾起了掉落的书本。(He picked up the fallen books.)

Don't Say

• 我去拾孩子 — don't use 拾 for picking up people; use 接 instead

Origin & History

Composed of 扌(hand radical) + 合 (to close/gather), suggesting gathering with hands.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal