收复

收復

shōufù

verb HSK 7 #37,902

Meanings

1 to recover (lost territory)
2 to recapture
3 to retake

Characters

to collect; to take back

to recover; to restore

Literally 'take back-restore' — to recover lost territory

Examples

军队成功收复了失地。

Jūnduì chénggōng shōufù le shīdì.

The army successfully recaptured the lost territory.

收复台湾是郑成功的伟大功绩。

Shōufù Táiwān shì Zhèng Chénggōng de wěidà gōngjì.

Recovering Taiwan was Zheng Chenggong's great achievement.

这座城市在战争结束后被收复。

Zhè zuò chéngshì zài zhànzhēng jiéshù hòu bèi shōufù.

This city was recaptured after the war ended.

Tips

usage

收复 is specifically about regaining lost territory or land. Common collocations: 收复失地 (recover lost territory), 收复领土 (reclaim territory). Don't confuse with 恢复 (huīfù, to restore/resume) which is more general.

history

收复 frequently appears in Chinese history lessons, especially regarding: 收复台湾 (Zheng Chenggong recovering Taiwan from the Dutch, 1662) and 收复新疆 (Zuo Zongtang recovering Xinjiang, 1870s).

Stroke Order

收 shōu

复 fù