Definition
取信 is a separable verb (离合词) with two very different meanings. The literal meaning is 'to collect a letter' (取 + 信), and it can be split — for example, 取了一封信 ('collected a letter'). The idiomatic meaning is 'to win trust/credibility', often used in formal contexts like 取信于人 ('to win people's trust'). The splitting rule applies only to the literal sense.
v.o.
to collect/retrieve a letter (literal, separable)to win trust/credibility (idiomatic, formal)
Examples
- 。Tā qù yóujú qǔ le yì fēng xìn.He went to the post office to collect a letter.
- 取信。Zhèngfǔ bìxū qǔ xìn yú mín.The government must win the trust of the people.
- 取信。Gōngsī tōngguò chéngxìn jīngyíng qǔ xìn yú kèhù.The company wins customers' trust through honest business.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.