遭 zāo to encounter
to encounter; to meet; to come across
How to remember 遭: 辶 road + 曹 two sides = to encounter. For years the two sides of a family feud avoid each other, until the narrow road to the market forces them to encounter one another.
Component breakdown
遭 = 辶 road + 曹 two sides
- 辶 road
- 曹 two sides
For years the two sides of a family feud avoid each other, until the narrow road to the market forces them to encounter one another.
How it is used
- To meet with - but almost always something bad. 遭到 (zāodào) / 遭受 (zāoshòu) to suffer (遭受损失 to suffer losses, 遭到反对 to meet with opposition).
- 遭遇 (zāoyù) to encounter (misfortune), also a noun for one's hard experiences. 遭殃 (zāoyāng) to come to grief. The negative valence is built in - you don't 遭 good things.