HSK 3.0 Level 6 · Action

求 qiú “to seek” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 求 means

  1. to seek
  2. to request
  3. to look for
  4. to demand
  5. to beseech

How to say 求

  • Pitch chart of the second tone: rises from mid to high, 3 to 5 on the five-level scale求qiú2nd tone, rising

求 in a sentence

  1. 我请求她等一下。

    Wǒ qǐngqiú tā děng yíxià.

    I asked her to wait a moment.

    Sentence #1272226 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 他的要求很合理。

    Tā de yāoqiú hěn hélǐ.

    His request is very reasonable.

    Sentence #349983 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  3. 我求你帮帮我。

    Wǒ qiú nǐ bāngbang wǒ.

    I’m begging you to help me.

    Sentence by WillyChina

How 求 is built

Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.

The character 求 (qiú) drawn as one shape
求qiúto seek

求 is a single shape of 7 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

Memory aidTraditionally said to show a fur coat, now written 裘 (qiú); some scholars see a centipede instead. Today 求 means “to ask for”.

How to write 求

求 7 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

求 (qiú) stroke order chart: each stroke of the character in the order you write it
Stroke order chart for 求 (qiú). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 求

Words with 求

More words: Action & Change Verbs

FAQs

求 (qiú) means “to seek” or “to request”. It is an HSK 3.0 Level 6 word.
Say it qiú: qiú with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 求 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type qiu with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 求 from the suggestions. Typing qiu into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
求 is an HSK 3.0 Level 6 word in the official 2021 syllabus, and it is on our HSK 3.0 Band 3 word list. It is not on the older HSK 2.0 word lists.

Turn words into conversations

A dictionary gives you the words. A native teacher shows you how to use them. Start with a free 30-minute intro call.

Book a free intro call

Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Example sentences written by WillyChina. Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.