购 meaning and stroke order
To buy; to purchase
How to write 购, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
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- 4
- 5
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- 8
Meaning of 购
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to buy
- to purchase
How 购 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Money.
贝 gives the meaning and 勾 hints at the sound.
Radical: 贝 (sea shell), shared by 63 characters on this site.
How to remember 购
On the left is 贝 (bèi), a shell, which hints at money, since shells were once used as currency. On the right is 勾 (gōu), which gives the sound, so think of money 贝 plus a sound like gōu, and you get 购 (gòu), to buy.
购 is rarely used alone in speech. It appears in more formal or written words like 购买 (gòumǎi) and 购物 (gòuwù), while everyday speech usually uses 买 (mǎi). Example: 周末我们去购物中心吧。(Zhōumò wǒmen qù gòuwù zhōngxīn ba.) Let's go to the shopping center this weekend.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 购 (gòu) with 够 (gòu, enough) because they sound the same. Remember that 购 has 贝 for money, while 够 has 多 because it is about having enough.
Common words with 购
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 购买 | gòumǎi | to purchase; to buy | HSK 4 |
| 购物 | gòuwù | shopping | HSK 4 |
| 收购 | shōugòu | to purchase or acquire in bulk or at an official level (esp. by a state or organization); | HSK 5 |
| 采购 | cǎigòu | to procure (for an enterprise etc); to purchase | HSK 5 |
| 订购 | dìnggòu | to place an order; to subscribe | HSK 7-9 |
| 并购 | bìnggòu | merger and acquisition (M and A); acquisition | HSK 7-9 |
| 购物中心 | gòuwùzhōngxīn | shopping center |
购 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 购
How many strokes are in 购?
购 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 购 mean?
购 (gòu) means to buy; to purchase. A common word with it is 购买 (gòumǎi), meaning "to purchase; to buy".
How do you pronounce 购?
购 is pronounced gòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 购?
The radical of 购 is 贝, which carries the idea of "sea shell". Dictionaries list 购 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 购?
The traditional form of 购 is 購. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 购 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 购 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 购 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 购买 and 买?
Both mean to buy. 买 (mǎi) is the everyday word, while 购买 (gòumǎi) sounds more formal and appears in news, notices, and business writing.
How do you say online shopping in Chinese?
Online shopping is 网购 (wǎnggòu), short for 网上购物 (wǎngshàng gòuwù). For example, 我经常网购。(Wǒ jīngcháng wǎnggòu.) means I often shop online.