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接 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
接jiēto receiveHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto answer (the phone)HSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto meet or welcome sbHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto connectHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto catchHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto joinHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto extendHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto take one's turn on dutyHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto take over for sbHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
接jiēto connect, to join; to receive, to meet, to answer the phoneHSK 3, v, 11 strokes, radical 扌, rank #325, Medium
jiē(jie1) T1
  1. 1to receive
  2. 2to answer (the phone)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

接jiē(jie1)

接 (jiē) is a versatile verb that primarily means 'to receive' or 'to answer,' particularly in the context of phone calls. It can also refer to welcoming someone or connecting two things together, both literally and figuratively, making it common in various social and logistical contexts.

Strokes11Radical扌Frequency#325DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the act of 接 is important in social interactions, such as 接机 (jiē jī, to pick someone up at the airport), which reflects the value placed on hospitality and personal connections.

Memory Tip

Imagine a person extending their hand to 'catch' someone as they arrive, symbolizing the act of receiving or welcoming. The character 接 has a hand radical (扌) on the left, emphasizing the action of reaching out or connecting.

Meanings of 接

jiē(jie1)
1to receive
2to answer (the phone)
Exercise 1 of 3

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 接

接Simplified
11Strokes
扌Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#325Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L3HSK 3.0L3ElementaryTOCFLL2HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 接

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Podcast: 接

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 接

Quick Contrast

接 (jiē) vs 回 (huí): use 接 when emphasizing the act of receiving or answering, while 回 focuses on returning or replying.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 接 with similar verbs like 迎 (yíng, to greet) and 收 (shōu, to collect), which can lead to misinterpretations in context. It is used in both formal and informal settings, so understanding the situation is key.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 3 word, 接 connects with other verbs related to interaction and communication, such as 见 (jiàn, to see) and 说 (shuō, to speak). Focus on practicing its usage in dialogues involving receiving guests or phone calls.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 接 when they mean 收. For example, saying '我接书' (wǒ jiē shū, I receive a book) is incorrect; the correct word is 收 (shōu), as in '我收书.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 接

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Etymology of 接

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 妾 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

hand

Semantic (meaning)扌
+
Phonetic (sound)妾
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 接

Phonosemantic compound. 扌 represents the meaning and 妾 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half扌 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half妾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayhand
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 接? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 接?

Decomposition of 接

IDS Structure⿰扌妾
接Full Character
=
扌shou3
left
妾qie4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 接?

How to say to receive in Chinese

“to receive” in Chinese is接jiē

接 (jiē) is a versatile verb that primarily means 'to receive' or 'to answer,' particularly in the context of phone calls. It can also refer to welcoming someone or connecting two things together, both literally and figuratively, making it common in various social and logistical contexts.

When to use 接

Learners often confuse 接 with similar verbs like 迎 (yíng, to greet) and 收 (shōu, to collect), which can lead to misinterpretations in context. It is used in both formal and informal settings, so understanding the situation is key.

接 or something close to it

接 (jiē) vs 回 (huí): use 接 when emphasizing the act of receiving or answering, while 回 focuses on returning or replying.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 接 when they mean 收. For example, saying '我接书' (wǒ jiē shū, I receive a book) is incorrect; the correct word is 收 (shōu), as in '我收书.'

Write 接

接

Practice writing 接 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 接

接 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 10 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.

Related grammar lessons6
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3

...

这是我接的电话。

Zhè shì wǒ jiē de diànhuà.

This is the call that I answered.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

由于各种原因，大家没有____受他的意见。

Due to various reasons, everyone did not accept his opinion.

Common Confusions with 接

接vs姐 (jiě)
jiě

Similar sound and structure but has a different meaning.

接vs接 (jiē)
jiē

接 has a similar structure to other characters with the '接' component.

接 means to receive or connect, while 接着 means 'then' or 'after that'.

1

他接了电话，接着就出门了。

接 means to receive or connect, while 接着 means 'then' or 'after that'.

💡接 (jiē) is about receiving, 接着 (jiēzhe) is about what follows.
Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to receive"?

or

Usage Notes for 接

Confusing 接 with other similar verbsCommon Error

Learners often confuse 接 with other verbs like 拿 (ná, to take) or 收 (shōu, to receive). Remember that 接 specifically involves connection or answering.

1

我接电话。

I answer the phone.

2

我拿电话。

I take the phone.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

我____电话。

I answer the phone.

Example Sentences for 接 (16)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我拒绝接受帮助的时候时常显得粗鲁无礼。

wǒ jù jué jiē shòu bāng zhù de shí hòu shí cháng xiǎn dé cū lǔ wú lǐ。

I was often rude and ungracious in refusing help.
2
我会接受任何给我的工作，只要是正当的。

wǒ huì jiē shòu rèn hé gěi wǒ de gōng zuò， ， zhī yào shì zhèng dāng。

I will take any job that comes along, within reason.
3
“我来要求归还我的房产，”她向接待人员宣布。

“ “ wǒ lái yào qiú guī huán wǒ de fáng，” chǎn ，” tā xiàng jiē dài rén yuán。

"I've come to reclaim my property," she announced to the desk clerk.
4
我接触到一些非常聪明的哈佛和耶鲁的学生。

wǒ jiē chù dào yī xiē fēi cháng cōng míng de hā fó hé yé lǔ de xué shēng。

I came into contact with very bright Harvard and Yale students.
5
理查德·张伯伦已经同意接拍《荆棘鸟》的续集。

lǐ chá dé· · zhāng bó lún yǐ jīng tóng yì jiē《 pāi 《 jīng》 jí niǎo 》。

Richard Chamberlain has agreed to make a sequel to "The Thorn Birds".
6
有关财务丑闻的谣言接连不断地冒出来。

yǒu guān cái wù chǒu wén de yáo yán jiē lián bù duàn dì mào chū lái。

Rumours of financial scandals have come bubbling back to the surface.
7
许多学生并未做好接受高等教育的充分准备。

xǔ duō xué shēng bìng wèi zuò hǎo jiē shòu gāo děng jiào yù de chōng fēn zhǔn bèi。

Many students are not adequately prepared for higher education.
8
那些地区通过完善的公路系统相互连接。

nà xiē dì qū tōng guò wán shàn de gōng lù xì tǒng xiāng hù lián jiē。

The regions are interconnected by an excellent highway system.
9
两名警官正在接受检察官的审查。

liǎng míng jǐng guān zhèng zài jiē shòu jiǎn chá guān de shěn chá。

The two officers were being investigated by the director of public prosecutions.
10
你之所以妒忌是因为唱片公司拒绝接受你的想法。

nǐ zhī suǒ yǐ dù jì shì yīn wéi chàng piàn gōng sī jù jué jiē shòu nǐ de xiǎng fǎ。

You're jealous because the record company rejected your idea.
11
我每天早上接到很多邮件。

Wǒ měi tiān zǎo shang jiē dào hěn duō yóu jiàn.

I receive many emails every morning.
12
他接到妈妈的电话时正在工作。

Tā jiē dào mā mā de diàn huà shí zhèng zài gōng zuò.

He was working when he received a call from his mom.
13
我终于接到了大学的录取通知。

Wǒ zhōng yú jiē dào le dà xué de lù qǔ tōng zhī.

I finally received the university admission notice.
14
她接到了一份新的工作邀请。

Tā jiē dào le yī fèn xīn de gōng zuò yāo qǐng.

She received a new job offer.
15
我接到了朋友的生日邀请。

Wǒ jiē dào le péngyǒu de shēngrì yāoqǐng.

I received a birthday invitation from a friend.
16
她今天接到了一个重要的包裹。

Tā jīntiān jiē dào le yí gè zhòngyào de bāoguǒ.

She received an important package today.

Cultural Notes for 接

💡Did you know?

在中国，接人的习俗非常普遍，特别是在朋友或家人到达时，通常要去接他们。这种行为展示了对他人的尊重和热情。

📜Proverb

接人待物，礼尚往来。意为在待人接物时，礼节非常重要，应该互相尊重。

Word Family of 接

Words Containing This Character20
接jiēto receive
接受jiēshòuto accept
直接zhíjiēdirect
接近jiējìnto approach
接触jiēchùto touch接觸
接着jiēzheto continue接著
接下来jiēxiàláito accept接下來
连接liánjiēto link連接
接到jiēdàoto receive (letter etc)
迎接yíngjiēto meet
链接link (on a website)鏈接
接口port
接待jiēdàito receive (a visitor)
接收jiēshōuto receive
接吻to kiss
接手jiēshǒuto take over (duties etc)
间接jiànjiēindirect間接
接通jiētōngto connect
接管to take over
接过to take (sth proffered)接過
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 接 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 接

Yes, 接 is a commonly used character and is included in HSK 2, indicating its relevance for learners. It appears frequently in various contexts, making it essential for effective communication in Chinese.

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