How to Write 求 (qiú) — Meaning “To seek; to request; to beg”

Picture a person (the top part) with arms raised, begging for water (the radical 氺). The bottom strokes look like two legs kneeling, which helps you remember that 求 means 'to beg' or 'to seek'.

Stroke order: first horizontal, then vertical hook, then dot above the hook, then a rising stroke, left-falling, right-falling, and finally a dot inside. A common mistake is making the vertical hook too short or forgetting the last dot – the dot must be placed inside the hook's curve.

要求 (yāo qiú) means 'requirement' or 'to request' and is used in formal situations like job listings. 追求 (zhuī qiú) means 'to pursue' and is often used for goals or love. 请求 (qǐng qiú) is a polite way to 'request' help or permission.

求 is common in daily speech for making requests or expressing pursuit, but be careful with tone: 求求你 (qiú qiú nǐ) means 'I beg you' and is very strong. In formal writing, 要求 appears in rules and contracts, while 追求 suggests ambition.

Common words containing 求 include: 要求 (yāo qiú) — To request / Requirement; 追求 (zhuī qiú) — to pursue; to seek; 请求 (qǐng qiú) — Request / To request.