取 (qǔ) - to take & to get

取Tone 3

qǔ ｜ 8 strokes ｜ radical: 又

情仁

取 · qǔ

to take;

to get;

to obtain;

to fetch;

to receive;

to choose;

to adopt;

to marry (in ancient times)

to taketo getto obtain

Usage highlights

to obtainto withdraw moneyto adopt measuresto receiveto fetchto choose

Synonyms

  • 拿— to take; to hold
  • 获— to obtain; to acquire
  • 得— to get; to obtain

Antonyms

  • 舍— to abandon; to give up
  • 弃— to discard; to reject
  • 予— to give; to grant

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Please take the book (取书).
  • I need to withdraw money from the bank (取钱).
  • He received first prize in the competition (取得一等奖).
  • We need to adopt new methods (采取新方法).

Collocations

  • to obtain(取得)
  • to withdraw money(取款)
  • to adopt measures(采取措施)
  • to receive(收取)
  • to fetch(取回)
  • to choose(选取)

Idioms

  • Take the essence and discard the dross(取长补短)
  • Take by force what one is denied(强取豪夺)
  • To take without giving is robbery(取而不予谓之盗)
  • Take from the people, use for the people(取之于民，用之于民)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In ancient China, '取' was used in the context of marriage, meaning 'to take a wife'.
  • The character originally depicted a hand (又) taking an ear (耳) from a defeated enemy as war trophy.
  • Represents the concept of actively acquiring or selecting something rather than passively receiving.

FAQ