遭受 (zāo shòu) — to suffer; to sustain (a loss, misfortune)

Definition

遭受 is a written-form verb for suffering misfortune, loss, or damage — more literary than the everyday 受. Pairs with abstract nouns like 损失, 破坏, 打击.

verb

to sufferto sustain (a loss, misfortune)

遭受。
Tā zāo shòu le jù dà de jīng jì sǔn shī.
He suffered huge economic losses.
遭受。
Zhè ge guó jiā zài zhàn zhēng zhōng zāo shòu le yán zhòng pò huài.
This country suffered severe destruction in the war.
遭受。
Tā zāo shòu le bù gōng zhèng de dài yù.
She suffered unfair treatment.

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

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

遭zāoencounter

遭 and 受 both express meeting or receiving something, especially bad, so together they mean to suffer.

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.

辶曹遭

Meaning part形符xíngfú

辶Written in full as辵chuòmovement

Sound part声符shēngfú

曹

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

遭 pairs 辶, the walking part, with 曹, which gives the sound; the shape is for meeting on the road.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

受 possibly combines 爪 and 又 as hands with 舟 as a boat, to show handing something over.

Appears in