得

Primary: To obtain, get, gain, or acquire; this includes both the acquisition of physical objects and the attainment of a state, virtue, or realization.

Secondary: Correctness, appropriateness, or "hitting the mark."

• Transitive Verb: The basic act of receiving or taking.
• Modal Auxiliary: Indicates possibility, ability, or permission (“can,” “may,” “be able to”).
• Resultative Marker: Marks the successful completion of a preceding verb, indicating that the intended goal was achieved.
• Negation (不得): A high-ambiguity construction that may signify lack of ability ("cannot"), prohibition ("must not"), or necessity/inevitability ("forced to").

• 得 vs. 取 (qǔ): 取 generally implies an active, intentional selection or taking; 得 is broader and can be passive.
• 得 vs. 獲/获 (huò): 獲 typically suggests capturing something elusive or gaining a prize/prey through effort.

Fanqie reading: 多則; Tang-period reading: *dək.