How to Write 收 (shōu) — Meaning “to receive; to collect; to harvest”

Imagine a hand (攵) reaching out to collect a twisted bundle (丩) of crops. This visual of a hand gathering a bundle helps you recall that 收 means 'to harvest' or 'to receive.'

Start with the left component 攵: write the left-slanting stroke first, then the horizontal and two diagonal strokes. The right part 丩 has a vertical stroke through the middle; make sure it doesn't extend too far below the bottom. A common mistake is making the right side too small or misaligning the middle vertical stroke.

攵 is not a standalone character but a radical meaning 'to strike' or 'to do,' appearing in characters like 收. 攸 is rare and means 'place' or 'where,' and looks similar but has an extra vertical stroke (丨) on the left. While 收 has the hand-stroke radical on the left, 攸 has a different left component (亻 or 彳) and is not used in everyday vocabulary.

收 is very common in daily life, such as in 收到 (to receive a message) and 收入 (income). It is also used in 收拾 (to tidy up or pack), and in farming contexts like 丰收 (bumper harvest), which reflects China's agricultural history and the importance of harvesting crops.

Common words containing 收 include: 收到 (shōu dào) — to receive; 收拾 (shōu shí) — to tidy up; to pack; to punish; 收入 (shōu rù) — income; revenue.