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哀求 (āi qiú) — to entreat, to implore, to plead (earnestly)

Definition

哀求 is to plead or implore with deep emotional pain or desperation, stronger than 恳求 (earnest, persistent begging) and 乞求 (often for mercy or survival). Use it when the speaker's feelings are visibly involved.

verb
to entreatto imploreto plead (earnestly)

Examples

  • 哀求，。
    Tā āi qiú le bàn tiān, tā zhōng yú tóng yì le.
    He pleaded for a long time, and she finally agreed.
  • 哀求。
    Hái zi yòng āi qiú de yǎn shén kàn zhe mā ma.
    The child looked at his mother with pleading eyes.
  • 哀求，。
    Wú lùn zěn me āi qiú, tā dōu bù kěn gǎi biàn zhǔ yì.
    No matter how much I begged, he refused to change his mind.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

哀āisorrowful
求qiúbeg

哀, sorrowful, and 求, to beg, combine into earnest pleading.

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
口口kǒumouth
Sound part声符shēngfú
衣
衣yī哀āi
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

哀 combines 口 (mouth) with 衣 (yī), which gives it its sound.

Open 哀 →

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

求 began as a drawing of a centipede.

Open 求 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Communication & Speech

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