求雨 (qiú yǔ) — to pray for rain (as a ritual)

Definition

求雨 means 'to pray for rain' as a ritual act — typically at a temple or shrine, often in the context of drought or harvest. The verb 求 here is formal and ceremonial, not casual asking.

verb
to pray for rain (as a ritual)

Examples

  • 求雨。
    Cūn lǐ de rén dōu zài miào lǐ qiú yǔ.
    The villagers are all praying for rain in the temple.
  • ，。
    Tā men qiú le sān tiān yǔ, zhōng yú xià yǔ le.
    They prayed for rain for three days, and finally it rained.
  • 求雨。
    Gǔ dài huáng dì yǒu shí yě huì qīn zì qù qiú yǔ.
    Ancient emperors sometimes also personally went to pray for rain.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

求qiúseek
雨yǔrain

求 means to seek, and 雨 is rain, so the word means to pray for rain.

Characters in this word

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 →

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

The shape 雨 is an old picture of a cloud with rain drops falling from it; the top line was added later.

Open 雨 →

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