jiǎn
捡
pick up; collect; choose
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesverb
to pick up; to gather up
Refers to picking up small objects from the ground or collecting scattered items.
Tā他
zài在
lù路
biān边
jiǎn捡
le了
yī一
gè个
qián钱
bāo包
。
He picked up a wallet on the roadside.
Qǐng请
bāng帮
wǒ我
jiǎn捡
yī一
xià下
diào掉
zài在
dì地
shàng上
de的
bǐ笔
。
Please help me pick up the pen that fell on the floor.
Show 3 more examplesShow fewer examples
Nǎi奶
nai奶
měi每
tiān天
dōu都
qù去
gōng公
yuán园
jiǎn捡
kū枯
chái柴
shāo烧
huǒ火
。
Grandma goes to the park every day to collect dry firewood.
Hái孩
zi子
men们
zài在
shā沙
tān滩
shàng上
jiǎn捡
bèi贝
ké壳
。
The children are picking up seashells on the beach.
Bù不
yào要
suí随
dì地
jiǎn捡
dōng东
xi西
chī吃
，
bù不
wèi卫
shēng生
。
Don't pick up food from the ground to eat, it's unsanitary.
verb
to make a bad tradeoff; lose big for small gains
formalUsed in the fixed idiomatic phrase 捡了芝麻，丢了西瓜, a common Chinese proverb.
Wèi为
le了
shěng省
jǐ几
kuài块
qián钱
ér而
mǎi买
le了
liè劣
zhì质
chǎn产
pǐn品
，
zhēn真
shì是
jiǎn捡
le了
zhī芝
ma麻
，
diū丢
le了
xī西
guā瓜
。
Spending a few dollars to buy low-quality products is truly penny-wise and pound-foolish.
Yǒu有
xiē些
gōng公
sī司
wèi为
le了
duǎn短
qī期
lì利
rùn润
kǎn砍
diào掉
yán研
fā发
tóu投
rù入
，
qí其
shí实
shì是
jiǎn捡
le了
zhī芝
ma麻
，
diū丢
le了
xī西
guā瓜
。
Some companies cut R&D spending for short-term profits, which is actually losing big for small gains.