Definitions
(verb)
to seek; to look for
(verb)
to request; to demand; to beseech
Etymology
Pictograph of a crawling insect. The current meaning "seek" or "beg" is a phonetic loan.
About
The character "求" derives from an early pictographic symbol representing a fur garment, a valuable commodity in ancient society, with its form eventually streamlining into the present configuration. Its etymology as a tangible object naturally extended toward the associated action of obtaining such a necessity, leading to a semantic shift where the primary meaning transformed from "fur" to "to seek" or "to request". This evolution in function, moving from a concrete noun to an active verb, occurred while the essential structure of the character remained identifiable, demonstrating how linguistic adaptation can redefine a symbol's core significance without altering its fundamental visual heritage.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我请求你的帮助。
他要求明天见面。
她追求更好的生活。
我需要求助老师。
孩子们求妈妈买玩具。
在困难时期，人们往往求助于朋友。
他求教于一位专家。
科学家们不断追求真理，以推动人类进步。