HanziGuru.湊 · còu
湊
còu[cou4]Tone 4

gather together

HSK 7
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凑
Guru Deep Dive

English · gather together

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:12
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (氵) occupies about one-third of the width, while the right component (奏) takes up the remaining two-thirds, ensuring balanced proportion without crowding.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 湊 preserves the historical components 氵 (water) and 奏 (music/progress), while the simplified form 凑 maintains the exact same left-right structure with simplified stroke simplification in the right side.
1. Meaning

to gather together, pool or collect

to happen by chanceto move close toto exploit an opportunity
VerbNeutral#action#collection#movement
Sample Usage
  • 大家凑在一起商量对策。
    Dàjiā còu zài yīqǐ shāngliáng duìcè.
    Everyone gathered together to discuss countermeasures.
  • 这笔钱我们总算凑够了。
    Zhè bǐ qián wǒmen zǒngsuàn còugòu le.
    We finally pooled together enough money for this sum.
2. Sound
/[t͡sʰoʊ̯⁵¹]/Tone: 51
湊
còucou4
++
`(51)
=còu
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
cou
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
c
Type: Aspirated Dental Sibilant
Sounds like: ts (ts sound like 'cats')
Aspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Sharp burst of air through teeth! Tissue MUST flutter strongly.
Tongue & Mouth Position: Tongue tip placed against the back of the lower teeth, releasing a sharp burst of air.
Final Rhyme
ou
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: ou rhymes with 'oh'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oh'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and plunges sharply downward, just like a firm command of 'No!' in English.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the unaspirated 'z' sound with the strongly aspirated 'c' sound.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp, forceful downward chop with your hand, mirroring a sudden drop in pitch from high to low.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 12 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (氵) occupies about one-third of the width, while the right component (奏) takes up the remaining two-thirds, ensuring balanced proportion without crowding.

Simplification Logic: The traditional form 湊 preserves the historical components 氵 (water) and 奏 (music/progress), while the simplified form 凑 maintains the exact same left-right structure with simplified stroke simplification in the right side.

4. Components

Radical 氵 · Water Radical (water, liquid)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 氵 (Indicates fluid motion or confluence like streams coming together)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 奏 (original sound: zòu)

Water streams (氵) flow together and converge like music notes played in unison (奏), representing gathering and pooling.

  • 氵 water / converging streams
  • 奏 music / performance / advance
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the water radical (氵) denoting confluence and 奏 providing the phonetic reading and a sense of advancing or coming together.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to currents flowing together; later broadened to mean gathering things, money, or people together, as well as happening by coincidence.

  • The right component 奏 originally depicted hands offering music or tribute to court, carrying a sense of presenting or joining.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: ソウ (sō) / Kun: あつ.める (atsumeru)
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

Drops of water (氵) pool together to create a musical symphony (奏) when people gather resources to celebrate.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
奏
zòuto play music, achieve, or present a memorialPhonetic Core (声旁)
凑
còugather together+ 冫 (ice)
揍
zòuto hit, to beat+ 扌 (hand)
楱
+ 木 (tree)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
揍(zòu)
揍 has the hand radical (扌) for hitting, whereas 凑 has the water radical (氵) for gathering.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我們大家一起[___]錢買一份生日禮物。
Clue: còu
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the tone 4 pronunciation (còu) with tone 1 or tone 3, or confusing it visually with 揍 (zòu).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: What does 凑 mean and how is it pronounced with tone?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to gather together / pool money' (còu)?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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