凑 (còu) - to gather together & to assemble

凑Tone 4

còu ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

凑 · còu

to gather together;

to assemble;

to happen by chance;

to move close to;

to make do with;

to improvise.

to gather togetherto assembleto happen by chance

Usage highlights

to gather togetherto pool moneyby chanceto make doto move closerto piece together

Synonyms

  • 聚— to gather, assemble
  • 集— to collect, gather
  • 合— to combine, join

Antonyms

  • 散— to scatter, disperse
  • 分— to separate, divide

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Let's pool our money together (凑钱).
  • They gathered a group of people (凑了一群人).
  • He just happened to be passing by (凑巧路过).
  • We'll have to make do with what we have (凑合着用).

Collocations

  • to gather together(凑在一起)
  • to pool money(凑钱)
  • by chance(凑巧)
  • to make do(凑合)
  • to move closer(凑近)
  • to piece together(凑齐)

Idioms

  • To make up the number(凑数)
  • To gather a crowd(凑人头)
  • To piece together funds(凑份子)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 凑 often implies a temporary or improvised gathering, rather than a formal one.
  • In social contexts, '凑份子' refers to a common practice where friends or colleagues pool money for a collective gift or event.
  • The concept of '凑合' reflects a pragmatic attitude of making do with available resources, a common theme in Chinese life.

FAQ