gòu
verb HSK 7-9 #7,924

Meanings

  1. 1 to buy
  2. 2 to purchase

Examples

HSK 3
Tā zài wǎngshàng gòumǎi le yìtái xīn diànnǎo.
She purchased a new computer online.
HSK 4
Zhōumò gòuwù shì tā zuì xǐhuān de huódòng zhīyī.
Weekend shopping is one of her favorite activities.

Tips

usage
money + hook - hooking goods with your money

Components

radical
bèi
cowrie shell; money
depicts a cowrie shell - the earliest Chinese currency - and serves as the money/commerce radical. Every word about buying, selling, owing, or wealth uses : buy, sell, wealth, goods. means to acquire by paying out.
phonetic
gōu
hook; to hook
supplies the sound, with a tone shift gōu → gòu. The "hook" meaning has no role here - pure phonetic. In simplified it replaced traditional 's phonetic - a much more elaborate element.

Stroke Order

gòu