受 shòu — to bear; to stand; to endure; (passive marker); to receive
他在比赛中受了伤。Tā zài bǐ sài zhōng shòu le shāng.He got injured in the match.
Common words: 接受 (jiē shòu)、受到 (shòu dào)、难受 (nán shòu)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "to receive"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "to receive", including 受 (shòu), 接 (jiē), 领 (lǐng), 收 (shōu), 奉 (fèng). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "to receive" covers 5 different Chinese characters — 受 (shòu), 接 (jiē), 领 (lǐng), 收 (shōu), 奉 (fèng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 5 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shòu, jiē, lǐng, shōu, fèng — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 受 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 受 shòuto bear; to stand; to endure; (passive marker); to receiveUseful words: 接受, 受到
- 接 jiēto extend; to connect; to receive; to joinUseful words: 接受, 直接
- 领 lǐngneck; collar; to lead; to receiveUseful words: 领导, 领先
- 收 shōuto receive; to accept; to collect; in care of (used on address line after name)Useful words: 收到, 收入
- 奉 fèngto receive (from superior); to offer; to revereUseful words: 奉献, 无可奉告
Common words for these 5 "to receive" characters
Anchor each of these 5 characters in a word you can picture — start with 受 (shòu) — so "to receive" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
接受jiē shòuto accept (a suggestion, punishment, bribe etc); to acquiesce受到shòu dàoto receive (praise, an education, punishment etc); to be ...ed (praised, educated, punished etc)难受nán shòuto feel unwell; to suffer pain; to be difficult to bear接受jiē shòuto accept (a suggestion, punishment, bribe etc); to acquiesce直接zhí jiēdirect; immediate; straightforward接着jiē zheto catch and hold on; to continue; to go on to do sth; to follow领导lǐng dǎolead; leading; to lead; leadership领先lǐng xiānto lead; to be in front带领dài lǐngto guide; to lead收到shōu dàoto receive
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 receive".
接 jiē — to extend; to connect; to receive; to join
我去车站接朋友。Wǒ qù chē zhàn jiē péng you.I went to the station to pick up a friend.
Common words: 接受 (jiē shòu)、直接 (zhí jiē)、接着 (jiē zhe)
领 lǐng — neck; collar; to lead; to receive
老师领着学生参观博物馆。Lǎo shī lǐng zhe xué sheng cān guān bó wù guǎn.The teacher led the students to visit the museum.
Common words: 领导 (lǐng dǎo)、领先 (lǐng xiān)、带领 (dài lǐng)
收 shōu — to receive; to accept; to collect; in care of (used on address line after name)
请把桌上的书收好。Qǐng bǎ zhuō shàng de shū shōu hǎo.Please put away the books on the desk.
Common words: 收到 (shōu dào)、收入 (shōu rù)、收费 (shōu fèi)
奉 fèng — to receive (from superior); to offer; to revere
他一生奉献给了教育事业。Tā yì shēng fèng xiàn gěi le jiào yù shì yè.He devoted his whole life to education.
Common words: 奉献 (fèng xiàn)、无可奉告 (wú kě fèng gào)、供奉 (gòng fèng)
All 5 characters
Open 受、接、领 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.