Is 觏 commonly used in modern Chinese?

No, 觏 is primarily a literary character found in classical texts and is very rarely used in modern spoken or informal written Chinese.

What is the main meaning of 觏?

Its core meaning is 'to meet', 'to encounter', or 'to see'. In specific classical contexts, such as the Book of Songs, it can also mean 'to marry'.

How is 觏 different from the more common word for 'see', 见?

觏 carries a more formal, literary, and sometimes fateful connotation of an encounter, whereas 见 is the general, everyday word for seeing or meeting someone.

觏Tone 4

gòu ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

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觏 · gòu

To meet;

to encounter;

to see;

to witness;

also used in classical texts to mean 'to marry'.

To meetto encounterto see

Usage highlights

To meetTo have not yet seenTo encounter hardshipA rare encounterTo meet withTo see and stop

Synonyms

见— to see
遇— to meet, to encounter
会— to meet, to assemble

Antonyms

别— to part, to separate
离— to leave, to depart

Usage & contexts

Examples

They had a chance encounter (觏面).
I have not yet seen such a thing (未觏).
The classic text mentions a meeting (觏止).
In ancient times, it referred to marriage (婚觏).

Collocations

To meet(觏面)
To have not yet seen(未觏)
To encounter hardship(觏闵)
A rare encounter(罕觏)
To meet with(觏遇)
To see and stop(觏止)

Idioms

I have met a gentleman(我觏之子)
To encounter slander(觏谗)
To meet with calamity(觏痻)

Cultural background

FAQ

Primarily a literary and classical character, rarely used in modern spoken language.
Appears in the Confucian classic 'Book of Songs' (诗经) with the meaning 'to meet' or 'to see'.
In ancient contexts, it could carry the specific meaning of a matrimonial meeting or marriage.

觏 (gòu) - To meet & to encounter