获悉

• Pinyin: huò xī
• Hanzi breakdown: 获 = 犬 + 蒦 (to obtain, receive — as when a hunting dog retrieves game); 悉 = 心 + 采 (heart/mind + gather/pick, to know thoroughly, to be fully aware of)

Meaning

To learn of; to be informed of; to receive news of something. A formal written expression used when one receives important information.

获悉 is an elevated, formal written expression meaning 'to obtain knowledge of' or 'to learn that.' It is widely used in official announcements, formal letters, news reports, and academic writing. Common patterns: 获悉此事 (to learn of this matter), 欣然获悉 (to learn with delight). It is considerably more formal than 知道 or 得知, and appears most often in formal correspondence and institutional communications.

Examples

1. 外交部官员获悉两国边境地区再度发生摩擦事件后，立即召见对方大使，就相关情况提出严正交涉。 After learning that another incident had broken out again along the two countries’ border, a Foreign Ministry official immediately summoned the other side’s ambassador and lodged a stern protest.
2. 研究团队获悉另一机构已在同一领域取得突破性进展后，随即对本组的研究方向进行了战略性调整，以避免科研资源的重复浪费。 After learning that another organization had made a breakthrough in the same field, the research team promptly made a strategic adjustment to its direction to avoid duplicating effort and wasting resources.
3. 公司董事会获悉主要竞争对手已开始秘密接触潜在收购方之后，紧急召开临时股东大会，共同商讨应对策略。 After learning that its main competitor had begun quietly approaching potential acquirers, the company’s board urgently convened an extraordinary shareholders’ meeting to discuss response strategies.

Usage Guide

Context: official, news, correspondence, diplomacy, academic

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 省政府办公厅获悉灾情后，立即启动应急响应，调拨救灾资金并派救援队赶赴灾区。(After the provincial government office learned of the disaster, it immediately activated an emergency response, allocated relief funds, and sent rescue teams to the affected area.)
• 学术委员会获悉该成果通过国际评审并被顶刊接受后，将其列为年度优秀科研成果。(After the academic committee learned that the work had passed international review and been accepted by a top journal, it named it an outstanding research achievement of the year.)

Don't Say

• 获悉 in casual speech — use 知道了 or 得知 for informal contexts; 获悉 is strictly formal and appears almost exclusively in written language, official communications, and formal reports

Origin & History

获 (to obtain/receive) + 悉 (to know thoroughly/understand completely) — 获 means to receive/obtain; 悉 contains 心 (heart/mind) + 采 (to gather), meaning to comprehend fully; together: to receive complete knowledge of something

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal