Writing Balance Rule: The left component (贝) should be narrower and slightly higher, leaving ample room for the right component (构) to expand, keeping the overall glyph square and stable.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 購 uses 貝 for shell/money on the left, but the simplified form retains 贝 and uses 构 as the phonetic/structural component on the right.
1. Meaning
to buy, purchase
to hire, to gather
VerbNeutral#commerce#action#trade
Sample Usage
网上购物很方便。
wǎng shàng gòu wù hěn fāng biàn.
Online shopping is very convenient.
这家公司打算购置新设备。
zhè jiā gōng sī dǎ suàn gòu zhì xīn shè bèi.
This company plans to purchase new equipment.
2. Sound
/[koʊ̯⁵¹]/Tone: 51
購
gòugou4
|
++
`(51)
=gòu
Initial Consonant
g
Type: Unaspirated Velar
Sounds like: g sound as in 'go'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: No burst of air (sounds like 'c' in Vietnamese 'cá' or 'k' in English 'skate').
Tongue & Mouth Position: Back of the tongue raises to touch the soft palate, releasing without a puff of air.
Final Rhyme
ou
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: -ou rhymes with 'oh' or 'boat'
Mouth Shape Guide: Pronounce as standalone vowel 'oh'.
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T4 (51)
5 → 1 (51)
4th Tone (High-Falling)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 4 starts high and drops abruptly, matching an emphatic English 'No!' or 'Stop!'.
Sandhi: When followed by another Tone 4 syllable, gòu shifts to a shorter, half-falling pitch (around 53), though the canonical representation remains 51.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing it with gōu (勾 - hook, Tone 1) because English speakers often miss the falling pitch contour of Tone 4.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A sharp karate chop downward from high in the air to the floor, reflecting the finality of paying money and sealing a purchase.
3. Writing
Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 8 strokes
Writing Balance Rule: The left component (贝) should be narrower and slightly higher, leaving ample room for the right component (构) to expand, keeping the overall glyph square and stable.
Simplification Logic: The traditional form 購 uses 貝 for shell/money on the left, but the simplified form retains 贝 and uses 构 as the phonetic/structural component on the right.
Semantic Clue (形旁):贝 (Indicates money, wealth, and commercial transaction)
Phonetic Clue (声旁):句 (original sound: gou)
You use your shell-money (贝) to complete a sentence or arrangement (句) with the merchant when you buy something.
贝 Shell / Money (semantic clue for commerce)
句 Sentence / Hook (phonetic clue for 'gòu')
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
9· Phonetic Root: 冓 (gòu)
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)
Origin: Combined 贝 (money, shells used as currency in ancient China) with 句 (providing the sound and the concept of connecting or concluding an agreement).
Semantic Evolution: Originally referred to trading or hiring; modern usage centers squarely on purchasing goods and services (as in 购物 gòuwù).
Shells were the earliest form of currency in China, which is why financial characters universally feature the shell radical.
6. Sinosphere
🇻🇳
Sino-Vietnamese
cấu
The falling tone corresponds roughly to the Vietnamese 'sắc' or 'nặng' tone depending on historical classification.
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: コウ (kō) / Kun: あか.う (akau)
🇰🇷
Hanja (Korean)
구
Sound Shift Bridge: cognateReading is null for English learners.
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story
You bring your shell-money (贝) to the market, and you state a clear sentence (句) to the vendor: 'I want to buy (gòu) this item!'
Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
构
gòuto constructUses tree radical (木) instead of money (贝) for wooden structures.
沟
gōuditch, trenchUses water radical (氵) for water ditches.
够
gòuenoughUses multi/sentence structure with a different right-side variant indicating sufficiency.
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
沟(gōu)
沟 has water (氵) for ditches; 购 has money (贝) for buying.
构(gòu)
构 has wood (木) for construction; 购 has money (贝) for purchases.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
現在很多人喜歡在網上___物。
Clue: gòu
Common Learner Pitfall
Confusing it with 够 (gòu - enough) or mixing up the left-hand radical with wood or water.
Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 购, what does it mean and what is its Pinyin?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to purchase' using the money radical?
Real-World Video Context
Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.
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購gòuto buy
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