要

Derived characters

• 偠 喓 㙘 婹 崾 𢞅 𢰳 㴗 楆 𰃥 腰 䁏 䙅 䌁 𨪁 騕 㫏 覅 䳩 葽 嫑 嘦 闄 𧟰

Descendants

• 𛀓
• 𡚩

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 1128, character 16
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 34768
• Dae Jaweon: page 1597, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2805, character 8
• Unihan data for U+8981

Definitions

要

1. to demand; to ask; to request

   要求  ―  yāoqiú  ―  to request

2. to force; to coerce

   要脅／要胁  ―  yāoxié  ―  to threaten, to blackmail

3. to promise

   要約／要约  ―  yāoyuē  ―  to restrict, to agree to a contract/offer/bid

4. to block; to intercept

   要擊／要击  ―  yāojī  ―  to intercept, to ambush

5. (obsolete) Alternative form of 邀 (“to invite”)

   • 便要還家，設酒殺雞作食。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     便要还家，设酒杀鸡作食。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: 421, Tao Yuanming, 桃花源記

     Biàn yāo huánjiā, shè jiǔ shā jī zuò shí. [Pinyin]

     Then they invited him home, served wine, butchered chickens and made dishes.

6. (obsolete) Alternative form of 腰 (“waist”)
7. (obsolete) contract of alliance

   久要  ―  jiǔyāo  ―  former contract

8. a surname

Descendants

Compounds

Definitions

要

1. to want; to wish

   我要睡覺。／我要睡觉。  ―  Wǒ yào shuìjiào.  ―  I want to sleep.

   你要不要喝茶？  ―  Nǐ yào bù yào hē chá?  ―  Do you want some tea?

2. to wish to have or keep

   你要番茄醬嗎？／你要番茄酱吗？  ―  Nǐ yào fānqiéjiàng ma?  ―  Do you want ketchup?

   這本書你還要嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
   这本书你还要吗？ [MSC, simp.]

   Zhè běn shū nǐ hái yào ma? [Pinyin]

   Do you still want this book?

   他想要一部新手機。 [MSC, trad.]
   他想要一部新手机。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā xiǎng yào yī bù xīn shǒujī. [Pinyin]

   He wants to have a new cell phone.

3. to ask for

   我要了一瓶啤酒。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Wǒ yào le yī píng píjiǔ. [Pinyin]

   I asked for a bottle of beer.

   弟弟又跟媽媽要錢了。 [MSC, trad.]
   弟弟又跟妈妈要钱了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Dìdì yòu gēn māmā yào qián le. [Pinyin]

   My brother asked mom for money again.

4. to request

   他要我給他買本書。 [MSC, trad.]
   他要我给他买本书。 [MSC, simp.]

   Tā yào wǒ gěi tā mǎi běn shū. [Pinyin]

   He requested that I buy a book for him.

   老闆要我馬上回覆。 [MSC, trad.]
   老板要我马上回覆。 [MSC, simp.]

   Lǎobǎn yào wǒ mǎshàng huífù. [Pinyin]

   My boss demanded that I reply immediately.

5. to need

   從這裡到上海要兩個小時。 [MSC, trad.]
   从这里到上海要两个小时。 [MSC, simp.]

   Cóng zhèlǐ dào Shànghǎi yào liǎng ge xiǎoshí. [Pinyin]

   It takes two hours to reach Shanghai from here.

   養大一個孩子要多少錢？ [MSC, trad.]
   养大一个孩子要多少钱？ [MSC, simp.]

   Yǎng dà yī ge háizǐ yào duōshào qián? [Pinyin]

   How much does it take to raise a child?

6. will; going to (future auxiliary)

   我要走了。  ―  Wǒ yào zǒu le.  ―  I am going to go.

   我怕我們要遲到了。 [MSC, trad.]
   我怕我们要迟到了。 [MSC, simp.]

   Wǒ pà wǒmen yào chídào le. [Pinyin]

   I fear that we will be late.

   出便咁黑，又好似要落雨噉。 [Cantonese, trad. and simp.]

   ceot¹ bin⁶ gam³ hak¹, jau⁶ hou² ci⁵ jiu³ lok⁶ jyu⁵ gam². [Jyutping]

   It looks like it's going to rain outside.

   • 從右脅出，墮地行七步，無人扶侍；遍觀四方，舉手而言：「天上天下唯我為尊。要度眾生生老病死。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
     从右胁出，堕地行七步，无人扶侍；遍观四方，举手而言：「天上天下唯我为尊。要度众生生老病死。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Dirgha Agama, translated by Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian circa 5^th century CE

     Cóng yòu xié chū, duò dì xíng qī bù, wúrén fúshì; biànguān sìfāng, jǔ shǒu ér yán: “Tiānshàng tiānxià wéi wǒ wèi zūn. Yào dù zhòngshēng shēnglǎobìngsǐ.” [Pinyin]

     Having come out of [his mother's] right side, he went down onto the earth and walked, helped by none, seven steps; he looked around in four directions, lifted up his hand, and said: ‘In the heavens above and below the heavens, I alone am exalted. I will save all living beings from birth, aging, sickness, and death.’

7. should; must; to have to

   不要喝酒。  ―  Bùyào hē jiǔ.  ―  Don't drink alcohol.

   你今天一定要去看病。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

   Nǐ jīntiān yīdìng yào qù kànbìng. [Pinyin]

   You must go to the doctor today.

   你要等一會兒，我的老闆現在正忙得不可開交。 [MSC, trad.]
   你要等一会儿，我的老板现在正忙得不可开交。 [MSC, simp.]

   Nǐ yào děng yīhuìr, wǒ de lǎobǎn xiànzài zhèng máng de bùkěkāijiāo. [Pinyin]

   You have to wait a moment. My boss is extremely busy now.

8. vital; important

   要職／要职  ―  yàozhí  ―  important post

   主要  ―  zhǔyào  ―  main

9. important points; essentials
10. if; in case of

    要繫腰帶，就用不著吊帶了。 [MSC, trad.]
    要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。 [MSC, simp.]

    Yào jì yāodài, jiù yòngbùzháo diàodài le. [Pinyin]

    You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt.

11. (dated Shanghainese) Used to indicate the future tense.

    Synonym: 快

Usage notes

• Beware that 要飯／要饭 (yàofàn, literally “to want rice”) is a phrase with the meaning "to be a beggar/loafer" which is insulting to others and should be avoided when asking a person whether they want rice.

Synonyms

Descendants

Compounds

Definitions

要

1. (archaic) Alternative form of 偠 (yǎo)
2. Used in 要褭／要袅.

Compounds