遭受

• Pinyin: zāo shòu
• Hanzi breakdown: 遭 = 辶 + 曹, meaning to meet with; 受 = 爪 + 冖 + 又, meaning to receive/endure

Meaning

To suffer; to endure; to undergo. To experience hardship, loss, or damage.

Used for significant negative experiences. Common phrases: 遭受损失 (suffer losses), 遭受打击 (suffer a blow), 遭受痛苦 (endure suffering), 遭受灾难 (suffer a disaster). More emphatic than 遭到, implying prolonged or significant suffering.

Examples

1. 这次洪水使当地居民遭受了严重的经济损失。 This flood caused local residents to suffer severe economic losses.
2. 她遭受了巨大的精神打击，花了很长时间才恢复过来。 She suffered a tremendous emotional blow and took a long time to recover.
3. 战争使无数家庭遭受了无法弥补的伤痛。 War caused countless families to endure irreparable pain.

Usage Guide

Context: news, disaster reports, formal writing

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 他们遭受了很大的损失。(They suffered great losses.)
• 这个地区遭受了严重的干旱。(This region suffered severe drought.)

Don't Say

• 我遭受了快乐 — 遭受只用于负面事物，正面体验用'感受到'或'体验到'

Origin & History

Compound of 遭 (to meet with) + 受 (to receive, endure). Together meaning to encounter and endure something difficult.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal