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)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to pick"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to pick", including 选 (xuǎn), 采 (cǎi / cài), 择 (zé / zhái), 摘 (zhāi). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to pick" covers 4 different Chinese characters — 选 (xuǎn), 采 (cǎi / cài), 择 (zé / zhái), 摘 (zhāi) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 4 characters do not share a sound — their readings span xuǎn, cǎi, cài, zé, zhái, zhāi — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 选 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 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
- 择 zé / zháito select; to choose; to pick; pick overUseful words: 选择, 不择手段
- 摘 zhāito borrow; to pick (flowers; fruit); to pluck; to take; to selectUseful words: 摘要, 摘下
Common words for these 4 "to pick" characters
Anchor each of these 4 characters in a word you can picture — start with 选 (xuǎn) — so "to pick" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
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选择xuǎn zéto select; to pick; choice; option不择手段bù zé shǒu duànby fair means or foul; by hook or by crook; unscrupulously择定zé dìngto select摘要zhāi yàosummary; abstract
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 4 ways to say "to pick".
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)
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)
摘 zhāi — to borrow; to pick (flowers; fruit); to pluck; to take; to select
秋天到了，果园里的人们忙着摘苹果。Qiū tiān dào le, guǒ yuán lǐ de rén men máng zhe zhāi píng guǒ.Autumn has come, and people in the orchard are busy picking apples.
Common words: 摘要 (zhāi yào)、摘下 (zhāi xià)、摘由 (zhāi yóu)
All 4 characters
Open 选、采、择 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.