The character 求 — “ask”: how to write it and what it means
ask, seek
The Chinese character 求 is read qiú and means “ask, seek”. Below: the stroke order step by step, what the character is made of and the words it appears in.
Stroke order: how to write 求
求 has 7 strokes. At each step the new stroke is highlighted — write them in the same order: top to bottom and left to right, horizontal before vertical, a frame before what is inside it, and the bottom stroke of the frame last.
To train your hand, print a handwriting sheet for 求, with strokes to trace and empty squares.
What 求 is made of
It hints at the sound in 球 qiú “ball”.
The parts of a character hint at its meaning or its reading — more in the article “Chinese character radicals”.
Words with 求
- 要求demand; requirementHSK 3
- 请求request; request (n.)HSK 5
- 追求pursue, strive forHSK 5
- 需求need, demandHSK 5
- 求助ask for helpHSK 6
- 求婚propose (marriage)HSK 6
- 求职look for a jobHSK 6
- 求救call for helpHSK 6
- 征求solicit (opinions)HSK 6
- 寻求seek (help)HSK 6
Frequently asked questions
How do you write the character 求?
求 has 7 strokes. They follow the usual rules: top to bottom, left to right, horizontal before vertical, outside before inside. The order of each stroke is shown on this page.
What does 求 mean?
求 means “ask, seek”. It appears in 要求 (“demand”), 请求 (“request”), 追求 (“pursue”), 需求 (“need”).
How do you pronounce 求?
求 is read qiú. The tone is part of the reading: with another melody it becomes another syllable.
How many strokes does 求 have?
7 strokes.
More characters on the page “Chinese characters with meanings” and in the list of HSK characters by level; whole words are in the dictionary.
Write 求 yourself
In the lessons you write characters stroke by stroke with a finger or a mouse, and the course checks the order. You can start for free, no sign-up needed.
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