没收

• Pinyin: mò shōu
• Hanzi breakdown: 没 = to submerge/disappear; 收 = to collect/gather. To make something disappear into official collection.

Meaning

To confiscate; to seize; to forfeit.

Official seizure of property or items, usually by authorities as punishment or enforcement. Used in legal, school, and customs contexts. Common phrases: 没收财产 (confiscate property), 被没收 (be confiscated). Different from 收 (receive) or 收回 (take back).

Examples

1. 海关没收了他行李里的违禁物品。 Customs confiscated the prohibited items in his luggage.
2. 老师把他在课堂上玩的手机没收了。 The teacher confiscated the phone he was playing with in class.
3. 根据法律规定，走私物品一经查获将予以没收。 According to legal regulations, smuggled goods will be confiscated once discovered.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, education, customs

Tone: authoritative

Do Say

• 手机被老师没收了。(My phone was confiscated by the teacher.)
• 违法所得将被没收。(Illegal gains will be confiscated.)

Don't Say

• 用没收表示普通的拿走 (没收 implies official/authoritative seizure, not casual taking)

Origin & History

Compound of 没 (to sink/disappear) + 收 (to collect). Items sink away into official hands.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal