採

Phono-semantic and associative compound derived from 采 (풍채 채), meaning “appearance,” “to gather,” or “to pick.”

It consists of:

手 (손 수) — semantic component, indicating action performed by the hand.

采 (풍채 채) — phonetic and semantic component, meaning “to pick” or “to gather,” giving both sound and sense.

Thus, 採 originally depicted a hand (手) plucking or gathering something (采) — such as fruit, herbs, or minerals — directly expressing the act of manual collection.

According to Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「採，取也。从手，采聲。」

“採 means to take or gather. Formed from 手 (‘hand’) and phonetic 采 (‘to gather’).”

In early bronze and seal script forms (金文, 篆書), the character shows an extended hand reaching toward a plant-like form, emphasizing the physical act of harvesting or choosing.

採取 (채취) — to gather; to collect; to adopt

採集 (채집) — to collect specimens; to harvest

採訪 (채방) — to interview; to gather information

採掘 (채굴) — to mine; to extract (minerals)

採納 (채납) — to accept; to adopt (an opinion or proposal)

採光 (채광) — lighting; admission of daylight

採用 (채용) — to employ; to make use of

採花 (채화) — to pick flowers

採血 (채혈) — to draw blood

採藥 (채약) — to gather medicinal herbs

採 has a rich semantic field that bridges the physical and intellectual realms — from gathering tangible things to choosing or adopting ideas.

In early agrarian societies, 採 referred primarily to picking fruits, herbs, or plants, often used alongside 狩 (hunt) in the expression 采狩, describing the basic subsistence activities of early humans:

「昔者先王之教民也，必使知采與狩。」 (The Book of Rites, 禮記·樂記)

“When the ancient kings instructed the people, they first taught them gathering and hunting.”

Over time, the meaning extended to selection and adoption, both material and abstract.

For example, in Book of Han (漢書):

「採其善者而從之。」

“Select what is good in others and follow it.”

Here, 採 expresses intellectual discernment — to gather wisdom from various sources.

In artistic and poetic contexts, 採 appears frequently in connection with nature and beauty:

採蓮 (채련) — “to pick lotus flowers,” a common poetic image symbolizing purity and youthful grace.

Tang poet Wang Changling (王昌齡) writes:

「採蓮南塘秋，蓮花過人頭。」

“Gathering lotus on the southern pond in autumn — the blossoms rise above one’s head.”

This figurative use of 採 evokes elegance and harmony between human life and nature.