救 (jiù): to save; to rescue

Meanings

1 to save; to rescue
2 to relieve; to help

Characters

救

jiù

to save; to rescue

Contains 求 (to seek) + 攵 (action radical) — taking action to seek help for someone.

Examples

救命啊！

Jiùmìng a!

Help! (Save my life!)

医生救了他的命。

Yīshēng jiù le tā de mìng.

The doctor saved his life.

消防员救出了被困的人。

Xiāofáng yuán jiù chū le bèi kùn de rén.

The firefighters rescued the trapped people.

谁来救我？

Shéi lái jiù wǒ?

Who will save me?

Tips

usage

救命 (jiùmìng) = Save me! / Help! — literally 'save life.' 急救 (jíjiù) = first aid. 救护车 (jiùhùchē) = ambulance.

Components

radical

攵 pū

tap; strike (radical form)

Right indexing radical 攵 (the rap radical, abbreviated 攴) — originally a hand holding a stick, signifying active intervention. In 救 it depicts the rescuer taking action: striking through the danger to save the one who 求 begged for help. Same radical in 教 (teach), 故 (cause), 政 (govern).

phonetic

求 qiú

seek; beg

Left 求 gives both sound and meaning. The reading qiú shifts to jiù (palatalization), and the 'seek / beg' sense of 求 contributes directly: a rescue is responding to a plea for help. So 救 reads as 'take action 攵 in answer to a plea 求' — phonetic and semantic fused.