救 (jiù) — to save, to rescue
Definition
The base verb 'to save / rescue' — general, used for people, animals, or situations. The compounds below narrow the sense: 救命 is specifically 'save a life', 救灾 is 'disaster relief', and 抢救 emphasizes urgency.
verb
to saveto rescue
Examples
- 救。Jǐng chá jiù chū le nà ge hái zi.The police rescued that child.
- 救。Tā tiào jìn hé lǐ jiù le yí gè luò shuǐ de rén.He jumped into the river to save a drowning person.
- 救。Wǒ men yào jiù nà xiē shòu shāng de niǎo.We need to save those injured birds.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
求
求qiú救jiù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.
In 救, 求 gives the sound, and 攴 is the action part.
Appears in
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