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A2 noun #3,200 most common 3 min read

收获

shōu huò Top 3,200

Practice it

§ What does it mean and when do people use it?

Let's talk about the Chinese word 收获 (shōuhuò). It's a really useful word to know, especially if you want to talk about getting good results from your efforts. Think of it as 'harvest,' 'gain,' or 'reward' in English. It's quite versatile.

DEFINITION: harvest; gain; reward

At its core, 收获 (shōuhuò) describes the positive outcome of work, study, or any kind of effort. It can be something tangible, like a crop from a field, or something intangible, like knowledge, experience, or even friendships. You'll hear this word a lot in everyday conversations, especially when people are reflecting on their experiences or talking about achievements.

For example, if you spent a lot of time studying for an exam and got a good grade, you could say you had a great 收获 (shōuhuò). Or, if you worked on a project that went really well, the positive results would be your 收获 (shōuhuò). It's about what you take away – literally or figuratively – from a situation.

Here are a few ways people use 收获 (shōuhuò):

Talking about literal harvests: This is the most direct meaning. Farmers have a 收获 (shōuhuò) at the end of the growing season.
Describing gains from study or work: This is very common. You gain knowledge, skills, or experience.
Referring to rewards or benefits: This can be anything positive you get from an activity, like new friends from a club or a sense of accomplishment.

今年我们有了一个很好的收获。(Jīnnián wǒmen yǒu le yīgè hěn hǎo de shōuhuò.)

This means: This year we had a very good harvest.

从这次旅行中，我收获了很多。(Cóng zhè cì lǚxíng zhōng, wǒ shōuhuò le hěn duō.)

This means: From this trip, I gained a lot (e.g., experience, memories).

When you use 收获 (shōuhuò), you're usually focusing on the positive outcome. It's about getting something valuable or beneficial. It's rarely used in a negative context. For instance, you wouldn't say you 'harvested' a bad experience. Instead, you'd talk about 'learning a lesson' or 'facing a setback.'

Understanding 收获 (shōuhuò) helps you express completion and positive results in your Chinese conversations. It shows that effort has been put in and a valuable outcome has been achieved. Keep practicing with examples, and you'll get the hang of it!

Word Family

Nouns

收获期 (shōuhuòqī) harvest season

收成 (shōuchéng) harvest (noun)

Verbs

收获 (shōuhuò) to harvest, to gain

Practice in Real Life

Real-World Contexts

After a period of hard work or effort, you can talk about the '收获' (gains) you've made, whether it's knowledge, skills, or achievements.

努力学习，收获很多。(Studied hard, gained a lot.)
这次出差我收获了一些新的客户。(I gained some new clients on this business trip.)
你最近有什么新的收获吗？(Have you had any new gains/achievements recently?)

When discussing the results or outcomes of a project, activity, or experience, '收获' can refer to the positive results or benefits.

这次活动有很多收获。(This event had many positive outcomes.)
参与这个项目，我的收获是学会了团队合作。(My gain from participating in this project was learning teamwork.)
希望我们这次合作能有丰硕的收获。(Hope our cooperation this time will have fruitful gains.)

In an agricultural context, '收获' literally means 'harvest' when talking about crops.

农民正在收获玉米。(Farmers are harvesting corn.)
今年我们的庄稼收获很好。(Our crop harvest is very good this year.)
收获的季节。(Harvest season.)

You can use '收获' to describe the emotional or personal growth gained from an experience.

这次旅行让我收获了很多。(This trip gave me a lot of personal gains/insights.)
从失败中，我收获了宝贵的经验。(From failure, I gained valuable experience.)
每次阅读都会有新的收获。(Every time I read, I gain new insights.)

When reflecting on what you've learned or taken away from a situation, '收获' is often used.

听了讲座，我最大的收获是对这个话题有了更深的理解。(After listening to the lecture, my biggest gain was a deeper understanding of this topic.)
这次讨论的收获是什么？(What were the takeaways from this discussion?)
希望大家都能有所收获。(Hope everyone can gain something.)

Conversation Starters

"你最近有什么新的收获吗？(What new gains have you had recently?)"

"你觉得这次活动最大的收获是什么？(What do you think was the biggest gain from this event?)"

"在学习中文的过程中，你最大的收获是什么？(What has been your biggest gain in the process of learning Chinese?)"

"你希望从这次旅行中收获什么？(What do you hope to gain from this trip?)"

"你觉得辛苦工作后最大的收获是什么？(What do you think is the biggest reward after hard work?)"

Journal Prompts

回顾过去一周，你最大的收获是什么？它对你有什么影响？(Looking back at the past week, what was your biggest gain? How did it affect you?)

描述一次你通过努力工作获得了丰厚收获的经历。(Describe an experience where you gained a rich reward through hard work.)

写下你从一次失败中获得的收获。(Write down the gains you've received from a failure.)

你希望在未来一年中获得哪些“收获”？你会怎么做去实现它们？(What 'gains' do you hope to achieve in the coming year? How will you go about achieving them?)

有哪些经历让你在个人成长方面有所收获？(What experiences have given you gains in terms of personal growth?)