verb HSK 4
Traditional
jiǎn
to pick up · to collect · to gather

Meaning

means to pick something up from the ground or a surface, typically something that has been dropped, lost, or discarded. It emphasizes the physical action of bending down or reaching to retrieve an object. This word is commonly used for found objects, litter, or scattered items.

Usage

Native speakers use when talking about picking up objects from the ground, finding lost items, or collecting things. It's neutral in register and frequently appears in everyday contexts like picking up trash, finding money on the street, or gathering scattered belongings. Often used with 起来 (qǐlái) as 起来 to emphasize the completion of the action.

Examples

  1. 01
    他在路上到了一个钱包。
    zài shàng jiǎn dào le qiánbāo.
    He found a wallet on the road.
  2. 02
    请把地上的纸起来。
    Qǐng shàng de zhǐ jiǎn qǐlái.
    Please pick up the paper on the floor.

Common collocations

  • 起来
    jiǎn qǐlái
    to pick up (completed action)
  • 垃圾
    jiǎn lājī
    to pick up trash
  • jiǎn dào
    to find (by picking up)
  • jiǎn qián
    to find money (on the ground)

Antonyms

Origin

The character contains the hand radical 扌(手) on the left, indicating a hand action, combined with 佥 (qiān) as the phonetic component, reflecting the action of using one's hands to gather or pick things up.

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