取 qǔ — to take; to get; to choose; to fetch
我去银行取钱。Wǒ qù yín háng qǔ qián.I went to the bank to withdraw money.
Common words: 取得 (qǔ dé)、采取 (cǎi qǔ)、取消 (qǔ xiāo)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to choose"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to choose", including 取 (qǔ), 选 (xuǎn), 采 (cǎi / cài), 评 (píng), 择 (zé / zhái). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to choose" covers 5 different Chinese characters — 取 (qǔ), 选 (xuǎn), 采 (cǎi / cài), 评 (píng), 择 (zé / zhái) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 5 characters do not share a sound — their readings span qǔ, xuǎn, cǎi, cài, píng, zé, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 取 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 取 qǔto take; to get; to choose; to fetchUseful words: 取得, 采取
- 选 xuǎnto choose; to pick; to select; to electUseful words: 选择, 选手
- 采 cǎi / càito pick; to pluck; to collect; to select; to choose; to gatherUseful words: 采取, 采用
- 评 píngto discuss; to comment; to criticize; to judge; to choose (by public appraisal)Useful words: 评价, 批评
- 择 zé / zháito select; to choose; to pick; pick overUseful words: 选择, 不择手段
Common words for these 5 "to choose" characters
Anchor each of these 5 characters in a word you can picture — start with 取 (qǔ) — so "to choose" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
取得qǔ déto acquire; to get; to obtain采取cǎi qǔto adopt or carry out (measures, policies, course of action); to take取消qǔ xiāoto cancel; to call off; to revoke; to rescind选择xuǎn zéto select; to pick; choice; option选手xuǎn shǒuathlete; contestant挑选tiāo xuǎnto choose; to select采取cǎi qǔto adopt or carry out (measures, policies, course of action); to take采用cǎi yòngto adopt; to employ; to use采访cǎi fǎngto interview; to gather news; to hunt for and collect; to cover评价píng jiàto evaluate; to assess
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 5 ways to say "to choose".
选 xuǎn — to choose; to pick; to select; to elect
请从这几本书里选一本。Qǐng cóng zhè jǐ běn shū lǐ xuǎn yì běn.Please choose one from these books.
Common words: 选择 (xuǎn zé)、选手 (xuǎn shǒu)、挑选 (tiāo xuǎn)
采 cǎi / cài — to pick; to pluck; to collect; to select; to choose; to gather
周末我们去山上采蘑菇。Zhōu mò wǒ men qù shān shàng cǎi mó gu.At the weekend we went to the mountains to pick mushrooms.
Common words: 采取 (cǎi qǔ)、采用 (cǎi yòng)、采访 (cǎi fǎng)
评 píng — to discuss; to comment; to criticize; to judge; to choose (by public appraisal)
大家都很喜欢这部电影，评价很高。Dà jiā dōu hěn xǐ huan zhè bù diàn yǐng, píng jià hěn gāo.Everyone likes this movie, and it gets high reviews.
Common words: 评价 (píng jià)、批评 (pī píng)、评论 (píng lùn)
择 zé / zhái — to select; to choose; to pick; pick over
面对这么多选择，他不知道该选哪个。Miàn duì zhè me duō xuǎn zé, tā bù zhī dào gāi xuǎn nǎ ge.Faced with so many choices, he does not know which to pick.
Common words: 选择 (xuǎn zé)、不择手段 (bù zé shǒu duàn)、择定 (zé dìng)
All 5 characters
Open 取、选、采 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.