Many Chinese learners see 获得 and 取得 and feel confused.
Both words seem to mean “to get,” “to obtain,” or “to achieve.” So what is the difference? 🤔
The answer is simple: they are similar, but they are not exactly the same.
Both words are common in formal Chinese, especially in writing, news reports, academic contexts, and exam-style sentences. However, they usually go with different collocations, and the focus of each word is slightly different.
A simple way to remember them is this:
获得 often focuses on gaining or receiving something.
取得 often focuses on achieving a result through effort.
Let’s look at them step by step. ✨
What do 获得 and 取得 have in common?
Both 获得 (huòdé) and 取得 (qǔdé) are formal verbs. They are often used to express ideas such as:
obtaining
gaining
achieving
acquiring something valuable or positive
They are both commonly used with things like:
support
success
results
opportunities
recognition
progress
For example:
她获得了大家的支持。
She gained everyone’s support.
这项研究取得了很大的进展。
This study has made great progress.
So yes, both words are positive and formal, but they are used in slightly different ways.
The key difference: receiving vs achieving
This is the most important point in this article.
获得 = to gain / receive / obtain
获得 usually focuses on the idea that someone gets or receives something valuable.
The thing gained is often:
support
help
recognition
experience
an opportunity
an award
attention
information
So 获得 often feels like:
to gain something
or
to receive something
取得 = to achieve / secure / reach
取得 usually focuses on the idea that someone achieves, secures, or reaches a result through effort, action, or process.
The thing achieved is often:
progress
success
results
victory
agreement
contact
permission
qualifications
breakthroughs
So 取得 often feels like:
to achieve something
or
to reach a result
获得 is often used with things you gain or receive
获得 (huòdé) is commonly used when the thing is something you gain, receive, or obtain, especially something abstract, valuable, or positive.
Common collocations with 获得
获得帮助
to receive help
获得支持
to gain support
获得机会
to get an opportunity
获得经验
to gain experience
获得奖学金
to obtain or win a scholarship
获得认可
to gain recognition
获得信息
to obtain information
获得荣誉
to receive honor
获得关注
to gain attention
获得成功
to gain or achieve success
Examples
她努力学习，终于获得了奖学金。
She studied hard and finally obtained a scholarship.
这个年轻老师很快获得了学生的认可。
This young teacher quickly gained the students’ recognition.
在这次工作中，我获得了很多宝贵的经验。
In this job, I gained a lot of valuable experience.
她的作品获得了很多关注。
Her work gained a lot of attention.
From these examples, we can see that 获得 often sounds like receiving something valuable, sometimes from outside sources such as other people, society, or institutions.
取得 is often used with results achieved through effort
取得 (qǔdé) is usually used when the speaker wants to emphasize that someone achieves, secures, or reaches a result through effort, action, or process.
Common collocations with 取得
取得进步
to make progress
取得成功
to achieve success
取得成绩
to achieve results or good scores
取得胜利
to achieve victory
取得联系
to establish contact
取得同意
to obtain consent
取得资格
to obtain qualifications
取得一致意见
to reach an agreement
取得突破
to make a breakthrough
取得进展
to make progress
Examples
经过一年的练习，他在汉语学习上取得了很大进步。
After one year of practice, he made great progress in Chinese learning.
我们希望在这个项目中取得更好的成绩。
We hope to achieve better results in this project.
学校已经和学生家长取得了联系。
The school has already established contact with the student’s parents.
这个团队今年取得了重大突破。
This team made a major breakthrough this year.
These examples show that 取得 usually sounds more active and more result-oriented.
In some cases, both can be used
Sometimes, 获得 and 取得 can both be used with the same noun, especially in formal Chinese. However, the nuance is often slightly different.
For example, both can be used with:
成功
胜利
成果
Compare
他们获得了成功。
They gained success.
他们取得了成功。
They achieved success.
Both are correct. However:
获得成功 focuses more on gaining success.
取得成功 focuses more on achieving success through effort.
In actual usage, 取得成功 is generally more common when success is presented as the result of effort.
Another example:
中国队获得了胜利。
The Chinese team won.
中国队取得了胜利。
The Chinese team achieved victory.
Both are acceptable, but 取得胜利 often sounds slightly stronger and more formal in news reports or official writing.
Some important collocation differences
This is one of the most important parts for learners.
Even though the meanings are similar, the collocations are not always the same.
Usually use 获得, not 取得
获得帮助
获得支持
获得机会
获得经验
获得奖品 / 获得奖学金 / 获得荣誉
获得认可
获得关注
Usually use 取得, not 获得
取得进步
取得成绩
取得联系
取得同意
取得资格
取得一致意见
取得突破
取得进展
Examples
老师的鼓励让我获得了更多信心。
The teacher’s encouragement helped me gain more confidence.
双方终于取得了一致意见。
Both sides finally reached an agreement.
⚠️ These combinations are usually unnatural in modern Chinese:
取得帮助
取得经验
获得联系
获得同意
So when learning these two words, it is not enough to memorize only the English meaning. You also need to remember the common collocations.
A useful way to understand the nuance
Here is a very simple way to understand the difference.
获得
This word often sounds like you gain something valuable, and sometimes that thing comes from other people, society, or outside conditions.
For example:
support from others
attention from the public
recognition from teachers
a scholarship from a school
information from a source
Example:
她的研究获得了国际社会的认可。
Her research gained recognition from the international community.
取得
This word often sounds like you reach a result through effort, process, work, or action.
For example:
make progress through practice
achieve success through hard work
secure permission through communication
reach agreement through discussion
Example:
通过不断练习，他取得了不错的成绩。
Through constant practice, he achieved good results.
So in simple words:
获得 = more like gain / receive
取得 = more like achieve / secure
In daily conversation, 得到 is often more common
This is a very practical note for learners 😊
In daily spoken Chinese, native speakers often use 得到 instead of 获得 or 取得, especially in casual conversation.
For example:
我得到了老师的帮助。
I got the teacher’s help.
This sounds very natural in everyday speech.
Compare it with:
我获得了老师的帮助。
This is also correct, but it sounds more formal.
So remember:
得到 is common in spoken Chinese.
获得 and 取得 are more formal and more common in writing, academic Chinese, reports, and exam materials.
This is an important style point for students.
Common learner mistakes
Many learners understand the dictionary meaning, but still make mistakes because they ignore collocations.
Mistake 1: using 取得 with something usually “received”
❌ 他取得了老师的帮助。
✅ 他获得了老师的帮助。
Tā huòdé le lǎoshī de bāngzhù.
He received the teacher’s help.
Mistake 2: using 获得 with a strong effort-based result
❌ 我们获得了很大进步。
✅ 我们取得了很大进步。
Wǒmen qǔdé le hěn dà jìnbù.
We made great progress.
Mistake 3: thinking the two words are always interchangeable
They are sometimes interchangeable, but not always.
So when learning these two words, do not only memorize the English meaning.
You should also memorize the common collocations. That will make your Chinese sound much more natural.
An easy rule to remember
Here is a simple rule for students:
Use 获得 when you want to say:
gain
receive
obtain
win
get something valuable
Use 取得 when you want to say:
achieve
make progress
secure
reach a result through effort
A simple memory trick 🌟
获得 = gain / receive
取得 = achieve / secure
Useful example set for review
Here are some natural example sentences for quick review:
她获得了很多宝贵的经验。
She gained a lot of valuable experience.
这个孩子在汉语学习方面取得了很大进步。
This child made great progress in Chinese learning.
他的研究获得了国际社会的认可。
His research gained recognition from the international community.
双方终于取得了一致意见。
Both sides finally reached an agreement.
她努力了很多年，终于取得了成功。
She worked hard for many years and finally achieved success.
这位年轻演员获得了最佳女主角奖。
This young actress won the Best Actress Award.
Mini practice
Try to choose the better word:
他在比赛中______了第一名。
经过努力，我们______了很大进步。
她______了老师的支持。
双方已经______了联系。
Answers
获得
取得
获得
取得
Final takeaway
Although 获得 and 取得 are close in meaning, they are not exactly the same.
获得 usually highlights gaining or receiving something valuable.
取得 usually highlights achieving or securing a result through effort.
So the key is not only meaning, but also collocation.
If you remember their common collocations, the difference will become much easier and much clearer. 💡
When in doubt, ask yourself:
Am I talking about receiving something, or achieving a result?
That small question can help you choose the right word more naturally.
