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强求 (qiǎng qiú) — to insist on (something) against someone's will; to impose (one's will) on others

Definition

强求 means to force or insist on something against someone else's will — stronger than 要求 ('to request'), which can be neutral. Often used in 不应该/不能 强求 to mean 'should not push for' or 'cannot be forced'.

verb
to insist on (something) against someone's willto impose (one's will) on others

Examples

  • 强求。
    Gǎn qíng de shì bù néng qiǎng qiú.
    You can't force matters of the heart.
  • 强求。
    Tā qiǎng qiú wǒ dā ying tā de yāo qiú.
    He insisted that I agree to his request.
  • 强求。
    Fù mǔ bú yīng gāi qiǎng qiú hái zi xué tài duō dōng xī.
    Parents shouldn't force their children to learn too many things.

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.

强qiángforcefully
求qiúseek

Forcing and seeking combine to mean demanding something against someone's will.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 強; 强 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 強 pairs an insect component with a sound component; this explains 強, not the simplified 强.

Open 强 →

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
Will & Intention

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