祈求 (qí qiú) — to pray earnestly, to supplicate; to implore, t… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A formal, often written verb meaning 'to pray / earnestly implore,' used for appeals to gods, fate, or fate-like forces. Stronger and more literary than everyday 求.

verb

to pray earnestlyto supplicateto imploreto beseech

Examples

祈求。
Tā měi tiān zài fó xiàng qián qí qiú píng ān.
He prays for safety in front of the Buddha every day.
祈求。
Zāi mín men qí qiú shàng tiān néng jiàng xià yǔ shuǐ.
The disaster victims beseeched heaven to send rain.
祈求。
Tā qí qiú zhè cì shǒu shù néng gòu chéng gōng.
She prayed that this surgery would be successful.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

祈 and 求 both carry asking or praying, together meaning earnest supplication.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

示示shìaltar

Sound part声符shēngfú

斤

斤jīn祈⁰qí

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

祈 has 示, an altar, on the left; 斤 on the right gives the character its sound.

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

求 began as a drawing of a centipede.

Appears in

Religion & Belief

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.