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" originated as a pictographic representation of a fur garment, but it was phonetically borrowed to represent the verb meaning to seek or request, which became its primary semantic function. This shift led to the original concrete meaning being conveyed by the character "裘", which combines the component "求" with the radical "衣" for clothing. In its modern form, "求" stands as an indivisible character with a structure that no longer visually reflects its initial pictographic association, having been standardized in writing for its abstract verbal meanings.
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。