How do you pronounce 求之不得?

求之不得 is pronounced qiú zhī bù dé in Mandarin Chinese.

What does 求之不得 literally mean?

Literally, 求之不得 means “to seek but not obtain”. It is used to mean “Exactly what one has been wishing for”.

Where does 求之不得 come from?

求之不得 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.

What is the Chinese definition of 求之不得?

想找都找不到。原指急切企求，但不能得到。后多形容迫切希望得到。

求之不得 — “Exactly what one has been wishing for”

求之不得 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Exactly what one has been wishing for”. Eagerly desired and most welcome. (Originally, to seek earnestly but fail to obtain.). Literally, “To seek but not obtain”.

Frequency

求之不得 Pronunciation and Pinyin

求qiú
之zhī
不bù
得dé

求之不得 Character Breakdown

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
求	qiú	7	seek, beg, demand
之	zhī	4	possessive or connective particle
不	bù	4	not
得	dé	11	obtain, must, or suitable

Example Sentence with 求之不得

这真是求之不得的好机会，我一定会好好把握。

This is exactly the opportunity I've been wishing for; I will surely seize it.

Origin and Story of 求之不得

Long ago, by the Yellow River, there lived a beautiful maiden gathering water plants. Her slender figure was truly captivating.

A young man of similar age noticed her and instantly fell in love, yearning for her even in his dreams.

As their families did not allow interaction, his longing for her grew even stronger.

As the poem goes: 'Eagerly sought, but unobtainable; waking and sleeping, he thought of her. So long, so long, he tossed and turned.'

Idioms Related to 求之不得

Synonyms of 求之不得

mèng梦mèi寐yǐ以qiú求eagerly wish for something

More idioms starting with 求

Questions about 求之不得

What does 求之不得 mean?: 求之不得 (qiú zhī bù dé) is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “Exactly what one has been wishing for”.
How do you pronounce 求之不得?: 求之不得 is pronounced qiú zhī bù dé in Mandarin Chinese.
What does 求之不得 literally mean?: Literally, 求之不得 means “to seek but not obtain”. It is used to mean “Exactly what one has been wishing for”.
Where does 求之不得 come from?: 求之不得 comes from a classical Chinese story dating back to ancient China. The full story is on this page.
What is the Chinese definition of 求之不得?: 想找都找不到。原指急切企求，但不能得到。后多形容迫切希望得到。

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