How to Write 遘 (gòu) — Meaning “To meet; to encounter”

Imagine you are walking (辶) and you meet a friend under a shelter. The right part 冓 looks like two people coming together under a roof (the top 艹 and 冖). This image of meeting someone while walking helps you recall that 遘 means 'to encounter.'

Write the radical 辶 first with a long horizontal stroke and a smooth curved tail. The inner component 冓 must be balanced: start with 艹 (two short horizontal strokes), then 冖 (a roof), and finally 冉 (like 月 but with two horizontal lines inside). A common mistake is making 辶 too short or the inner part too tall, breaking the harmony.

遘 (gòu) means 'to meet' or 'encounter,' while 逭 (huàn) means 'to escape' or 'avoid.' Visually, 逭 has 官 (official) inside, whereas 遘 has 冓. 逮 (dài) means 'to capture' or 'arrest' and contains 隶 (slave). So 遘 is about meeting, 逭 about evading, and 逮 about catching.

遘 is a classical character rarely used in everyday speech but appears in formal or literary Chinese. You may find it in idioms or historical texts, such as 遘疾 (gòu jí, to fall ill) or 遘遇 (gòu yù, to encounter). Since it is not in the HSK list, learners typically see it only in advanced reading materials.

Common words containing 遘 include: 遘遇 (gòu yù) — To encounter; to meet with; 遘疾 (gòu jí) — To fall ill; to contract a disease; 遘会 (gòu huì) — To meet; to encounter.