收 from HSK Level 2 Vocabulary List

The Chinese character 收 (shōu) is composed of two parts: the radical 扌(shǒu), which represents the hand, and the phonetic component 収 (shōu), which is a simplified form of the character 攸 (yōu). The original meaning of 收 is "to gather with the hand", which has extended to mean "to collect", "to receive", "to harvest", and "to close".The character 收 first appeared in oracle bone inscriptions from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). In these inscriptions, 收 was used to represent the action of gathering crops or other objects with the hand. Over time, the meaning of 收 expanded to include other types of gathering, such as collecting taxes or donations.In modern Chinese, 收 is used in a wide variety of contexts. It can be used as a verb, meaning "to collect", "to receive", or "to harvest". It can also be used as a noun, meaning "a collection" or "a harvest". Additionally, 收 is used in many compound words, such as 收入 (shōurù, "income"), 收获 (shōuhuò, "harvest"), and 收集 (shōují, "to collect").The character 收 is an important part of the Chinese language, and it has a rich history and a wide range of meanings. By understanding the etymology of 收, HSK learners can gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese language and culture.