Dictionary › 要

要

yào

HSK 2 Character

What 要 means

1. to want; to need; to ask for
2. will; shall; about to
3. need to; should
4. if (same as {要是|yào shi})
5. bound formimportant

Other readings

要 is 多音字 — it is read more than one way, and the reading changes the meaning.

• yāoto demand; to coerce

Example sentences

• 要得
  Yàodé
  It is feasible.
• 要得。
  It is feasible.
• 我要睡觉
  Wǒ yào shuìjiào
  I want to sleep.
• 要守时！
  Yào shǒushí!
  Be on time.
• 我不要.
  I don't want it.
• 要多久？
  How long does it take?

Words starting with 要

• 要求yāo qiúto request; to require; requirement
• 要是yào shi(colloquial) if
• 要不yào bùotherwise; or else; how about...?
• 要命yào mìngto cause sb's death; extremely; terribly; (used in complaining about sth) to be a nuisance
• 要不然yào bù ránotherwise; or else; or
• 要点yào diǎnmain point; essential
• 要素yào sùessential factor; key constituent
• 要么yào meor; either one or the other
• 要好yào hǎoto be on good terms; to be close friends; striving for self-improvement
• 要不是yào bu shìif it were not for; but for
• 要紧yào jǐnimportant; urgent
• 要人yào rénimportant person
• 要强yào qiángeager to excel; eager to get ahead in life; strong-minded
• 要害yào hàivital part; (fig.) key point; crucial
• 要领yào lǐngmain aspects; essentials; gist
• 要饭yào fànto beg (for food or money)
• 要闻yào wénimportant news story; headline
• 要约yāo yuēto restrict; to agree to a contract; offer; bid
• 要塞yào sàistronghold; fort; fortification
• 要得yào dégood; fine
• 要价yào jiàto ask a price; to charge; (fig.) to attach conditions (in negotiations)
• 要道yào dàomajor road; thoroughfare; main road
• 要挟yāo xiéto threaten; to blackmail
• 要冲yào chōngroad hub; major crossroad

Words containing 要

• 需要xū yàoto need; to want; to demand; to require; needs
• 不要bù yàodon't!; must not
• 重要zhòng yàoimportant; significant; major
• 主要zhǔ yàomain; principal; major; primary
• 只要zhǐ yàoso long as; provided; if
• 就要jiù yàowill; shall; to be going to
• 必要bì yàonecessary; essential; indispensable
• 不要紧bù yào jǐnunimportant; not serious; it doesn't matter
• 次要cì yàosecondary
• 摘要zhāi yàosummary; abstract
• 首要shǒu yàothe most important; of chief importance
• 简要jiǎn yàoconcise; brief
• 纪要jì yàominutes; written summary of a meeting
• 快要kuài yàonearly at the point of (doing sth); about to (do sth)
• 非要fēi yàoto want absolutely; to insist on (doing sth)
• 总要zǒng yàonevertheless
• 正要zhèng yàoto be just about to; to be on the point of
• 将要jiāng yàowill; shall; to be going to
• 重要性zhòng yào xìngimportance
• 至关重要zhì guān zhòng yàoextremely important; vital; crucial
• 不要脸bù yào liǎnto have no sense of shame; shameless
• 会要huì yàodynastic records of imperial China
• 索要suǒ yàoto ask for; to request; to demand
• 硬要yìng yàofirmly set on doing sth; to insist on doing; determined in one's course of action

Characters built on 女

These share the phonetic component 女 (nǚ), which is why their readings rhyme. Learning them as a family is far cheaper than learning them one at a time.

• 好hǎogood; appropriate; proper; all right!
• 妖yāogoblin; witch; devil
• 嫂sǎo(bound form) older brother's wife; sister-in-law
• 姚yáohandsome; good-looking
• 姥lǎograndma (maternal)
• 娆ráograceful
• 媪ǎoold woman
• 嫪làolonging (unrequited passion)

Characters that look like 要

Easy to confuse on sight. Compare them side by side once and the pair stops costing you.

• 香xiāngfragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic
• 脊jǐ(bound form) spine; backbone; (bound form) ridge
• 耍shuǎto play with; to wield; to act (cool etc)
• 晏yànlate; quiet
• 娄Lóusurname Lou; one of the 28 lunar mansions in Chinese astronomy
• 莠yǒuSetaria viridis; vicious

Sounds the same

Read yào, tone for tone, but written differently.

• 药leaf of the iris; variant of 药
• 耀brilliant; glorious
• 曜bright; glorious; one of the seven planets of premodern astronomy
• 鹞sparrow hawk; Accipiter nisus
• 燿brilliant; glorious
• 靿the leg of a boot or sock
• 疟used in 疟子
• 袎variant of 靿