Meaning of 受
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to receive
- to accept
- to suffer
- subjected to
- to bear
- to stand
- pleasant
- (passive marker)
How to use 受
受 (shòu) is usually about receiving or undergoing something, often something unpleasant, and it mostly appears in compounds like 受到, 接受, 受伤 and 难受. It can also work as a formal passive marker before a verb. Example: 他受伤了。(Tā shòushāng le.) He got hurt.
Picture a hand reaching down from the top of 受 (shòu) and another hand at the bottom (又) catching what is passed between them. One hand gives, the other receives.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 受 (shòu, to receive) with 授 (shòu, to give or teach), which adds 扌 on the left, as in 教授 (jiàoshòu, professor). Another trap is using 受 alone for everyday receiving. For a letter or gift, say 收到 (shōudào), not 受到.
受 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
受 shòu · to receive · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 受.
| 接受 | jiēshòu | to accept (a suggestion, punishment, bribe etc); to acquiesce |
| 受到 | shòudào | to receive (praise, an education, punishment etc); to be ...ed (praised, educated, punishe |
| 难受 | nánshòu | to feel unwell; to suffer pain |
| 受伤 | shòushāng | to sustain injuries; wounded (in an accident etc) |
| 感受 | gǎnshòu | to sense; perception |
| 受不了 | shòubuliǎo | unbearable; unable to endure |
| 承受 | chéngshòu | to bear; to support |
| 享受 | xiǎngshòu | to enjoy; to live it up |
| 忍受 | rěnshòu | to bear; to endure |
| 受灾 | shòuzāi | disaster-stricken; to be hit by a natural calamity |
| 遭受 | zāoshòu | to suffer; to sustain (loss, misfortune) |
| 受害人 | shòuhàirén | victim |
Questions about 受
What does 受 mean?
受 (shòu) means "to receive; to accept" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 受?
受 is made of 1 character: 受 (8 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 受 an HSK word?
Yes. 受 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 受到 and 收到?
收到 (shōudào) is for physical things like letters, gifts and messages. 受到 (shòudào) is for abstract things you experience, such as praise, criticism, influence or education, for example 受到欢迎 (shòudào huānyíng, to be welcomed).
How do I use 受不了 in conversation?
受不了 (shòubuliǎo) means you cannot stand something. It is very common in casual speech, for example 这么热，我受不了了。(Zhème rè, wǒ shòubuliǎo le.) It is so hot, I cannot take it anymore.