求

qiú
verb HSK 6 #328

Meanings

  1. 1 to seek
  2. 2 to request; to beg

Examples

HSK 2
Wǒ qiú nǐ bāngbang wǒ.
I beg you to help me.
HSK 4
Tā zài qiúzhí.
He is job hunting.
HSK 5
Wǒmen yào zhuīqiú mèngxiǎng.
We should pursue our dreams.

Tips

usage
Common compounds: 要求 (to require), 请求 (to request), 追求 (to pursue), 求职 (to seek employment).

Components

radical
氺 shuǐ
water (bottom-form of 水)
Bottom water-pattern matches the 氺 form of the 水 radical, which indexes 求. Strict etymology says 求 originally depicted a fur coat with dangling sleeves, but the modern silhouette has converged on the 氺 water pattern and inherits its radical role; one extra right dot pads the canonical 5-stroke shape.
semantic
一 yī
one; top accent stroke
Top stroke is a small accent that crowns the body. In the fur-coat etymology it represented the collar of the pelt the worshipper held up; in the modern silhouette it is a single horizontal cap sitting above the water-like body.

Stroke Order

求 qiú