Comparing "dedao" and "shoudao"

得到 (dédào) and 收到 (shōudào) are both verbs that can be translated as "to get," but they are used in different contexts and are not fully interchangeable. 得到 is more formal, whereas 收到 can be both informal or formal. 得到 is most similar to "to obtain," whereas 收到 means "to receive" a text, a message, a letter, a package, etc.

B1HSK4ASV4567

	得到 (dédào)	收到 (shōudào)
Meaning	to obtain, to get	to receive
Part of Speech	verb	verb
Formality	formal	informal

:Yes

Use 得到 (dédào) to mean "to obtain"

Although "to get" is often an acceptable translation of 得到, because the usage of "to get" is so broad in English, you'll save yourself a lot of confusion by using the translation "to obtain" for 得到.

得到 is used for things one can "obtain" after much effort, such as good grades, a good opportunity, someone’s approval, etc.

Common Phrases

• 得到 支持 dédào zhīchí to get support
• 得到 结果 dédào jiéguǒ to gett results
• 得到 帮助 dédào bāngzhù to get help
• 得到 奖学金 dédào jiǎngxuéjīn to get a scholarship

Example Sentences

• 我 上班 的 第一 天 得到 同事 们 的 帮助 。 Wǒ shàngbān de dì-yī tiān dédào tóngshì men de bāngzhù.My first day on the job, I got help from my coworker.
• 他 的 想法 非常 好 ， 得到 了 大家 的 支持 。 Tā de xiǎngfǎ fēicháng hǎo, dédào le dàjiā de zhīchí .His idea is a good one, and it has the support of everyone.
• 我 能 得到 什么 好处 ？ Wǒ néng dédào shénme hǎochù ?What benefit can I get out of it?
• 我 想 得到一 个 满意 的 结果。 Wǒ xiǎng dédào yī gè mǎnyì de jiéguǒ.I wanted to get a satisfactory result.
• 学校 的 奖学金 很 高 ， 所以 很 多 学生 希望 可以 得到 。 Xuéxiào de jiǎngxuéjīn hěn gāo, suǒyǐ hěn duō xuéshēng xīwàng kěyǐ dédào.The scholarships at the school are very high, so a lot of students are hoping to get them.

Use 收到 (shōudào) to mean "to receive"

收到 means “to receive” some concrete thing like a package, a gift, a letter, etc.

Common Phrases

• 收到 邮件 shōudào yóujiànto receive mail
• 收到 快递 shōudào kuàidìto receive a package
• 收到 礼物 shōudào lǐwùto receive a gift

Example Sentences

• 我 没有 收到 你的 微信 消息。 Wǒ méiyǒu shōudào nǐ de Wēi xìn xiāoxi .I didn't get your WeChat message.
• 我们 收到 了 很 多 简历 。 Wǒmen shōudào le hěn duō jiǎnlì .We received a lot of resumes.We received a lot of resumes.
• 你 收到 我 的 邮件 了 吗 ? Nǐ shōudào wǒ de yóujiàn le ma?Did you get my email?
• 去年 圣诞节 我 收到 了 很 多 礼物 。 Qùnián Shèngdànjié wǒ shōudào le hěn duō lǐwù .I got a lot of presents last Christmas.
• 我 还 没有 收到 工资。 Wǒ hái méiyǒu shōudào gōngzī .I haven't received my paycheck yet.
• 我 已经 收到 快递 了。 Wǒ yǐjīng shōudào kuàidì le.I've already received it by courier.

Be careful when translating "to get" into Chinese

Consider the following English sentences. Does each use of the word "get" refer to "obtain" (得到) or "receive" (收到)?

• 我 得到 了 奶奶 的 礼物。 wǒ dédào le nǎinai de lǐwù.
• 我 收到 了 奶奶 的 礼物 。wǒ shōudào le nǎinai de lǐwù.I got a present from grandma.

• 我 收到 了 妈妈的 奖励 。wǒ shōudào le māma de jiǎnglì.
• 我 得到 了 妈妈的 奖励 。wǒ dédào le māma de jiǎnglì.I got a reward from my mom.

Sources and further reading

Websites

• "得到" 和 "收到 " 和 "受到" 和有什么不一样? | HiNative