谋求
móuqiú · HSK 7
seek to gain
🎯 谋 plan/scheme + 求 seek = scheme-and-seek: actively strive to gain something
谋 means to plot or plan, 求 means to seek or request. Together móuqiú is the deliberate pursuit of a goal: you plan a route and chase it down, not just wishing but actively going for it.
求 — pictograph of a fur garment
求 originally depicted a fur coat or pelt, with hairs hanging from the sides. It was later borrowed phonetically to mean 'seek' or 'request,' and the original 'fur' meaning was taken over by 裘. Today 求 almost always means to seek, beg, or pursue.