# 要

| 要 | U+8981, &#35201; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-8981 |
| ← 覀 [U+8980] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 覂 → [U+8982] |

## Translingual
### Han character

要 (Kangxi radical 146, 襾+3, 9 strokes, cangjie input 一田女 (MWV), four-corner 1040$_4$, composition ⿱覀女)

#### 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

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 要 :
| Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 腰 | *qew |
| 要 | *qew, *qews |
| 葽 | *qew, *qews, *qeːw, *qeːwʔ |
| 喓 | *qew |
| 闄 | *qewʔ |
| 偠 | *qeːwʔ |
| 騕 | *qeːwʔ |
| 婹 | *qeːwʔ |
Pictogram (象形): a man 大 then drawn as a woman (女) with two hands pointing to his/her midsection. On top of the character there was huge eye 目, then stylized as a horn 角. The hands gradually shifted upwards; hence, a nearly-original version of the character is 𡢗. All the upper part was eventually stylized as 覀. Unrelated to 栗 but partly related to 票.
Original meaning was “waist” (now 腰 (OC *qew)).

### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): yāo (yao$^1$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄧㄠ
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): ё (i͡o, III)
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu$^1$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): yêu
* Eastern Min (BUC): iĕu
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): iau
    (Teochew, Peng'im): iou$^1$ / iao$^1$
* Wu (Wugniu)
** (Northern): $^1$iau
** (Jinhua): $^1$iau
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: yāo
*** Zhuyin: ㄧㄠ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: yao
*** Wade–Giles: yao$^1$
*** Yale: yāu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iau
*** Palladius: яо (jao)
*** Sinological IPA : /jɑʊ̯⁵⁵/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: ё (i͡o, III)
*** Sinological IPA : /iɔː⁴⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jiu$^1$
*** Yale: yīu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jiu$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yiu$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /jiːu̯⁵⁵/
* Hakka
** (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yêu
*** Hakka Romanization System: ieu$^ˊ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: yeu$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /i̯eu̯²⁴/
** (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yêu
*** Hakka Romanization System: (r)ieu$^ˊ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: yeu$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯eu̯²⁴/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: iĕu
*** Sinological IPA : /ieu⁵⁵/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iau
*** Tâi-lô: iau
*** Phofsit Daibuun: iaw
*** IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /iau³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iau⁴⁴/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: iou$^1$ / iao$^1$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iou / iau
*** Sinological IPA : /iou³³/, /iau³³/
* iou1 - Chaozhou;
* iao1 - Shantou, Jieyang, Chaoyang.
* Middle Chinese: 'jiew
Rime :
| Character | 要 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 影 (34) |
| Final (韻) | 宵 (91) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 於霄切 |
| Baxter | 'jiew |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ʔiᴇu/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ʔiɛu/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ʔjæu/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ʔiaw/ |
| Li Rong | /ʔiɛu/ |
| Wang Li | /ĭɛu/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ʔi̯ɛu/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | yāo |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jiu$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Zhengzhang): /*qew/
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 要 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| No. | 14748 |
| Phonetic component | 要 |
| Rime group | 宵 |
| Rime subdivision | 2 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 要 |
| Old Chinese | /*qew/ |
* This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some! Particularly: “Taishanese”

#### Definitions

要
* to demand; to ask; to request
    要求 ― yāoqiú ― to request
* to force; to coerce
    要脅／要胁 ― yāoxié ― to threaten, to blackmail
* to promise
    要約／要约 ― yāoyuē ― to restrict, to agree to a contract/offer/bid
* to block; to intercept
    要擊／要击 ― yāojī ― to intercept, to ambush
* (obsolete) Alternative form of 邀 (“to invite”)
    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.
* (obsolete) Alternative form of 腰 (“waist”)
* (obsolete) contract of alliance
    久要 ― jiǔyāo ― former contract
* a surname

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 要(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 요(要) (yo)
* → Vietnamese: yêu (要)

#### Compounds

* 久要 (jiǔyāo)
* 要功
* 要劫
* 要勒
* 要妙
* 要寵召禍 / 要宠召祸
* 要市
* 要挾 / 要挟 (yāoxié)
* 要擊 / 要击 (yāojī)
* 要時 / 要时
* 要服
* 要束
* 要求 (yāoqiú)
* 要盟
* 要眇
* 要約人 / 要约人
* 要結 / 要结
* 要絰 / 要绖
* 要脅 / 要胁 (yāoxié)
* 要荒
* 要褭 / 要袅
* 要誓
* 要買 / 要买 (yāomǎi)
* 訂久要 / 订久要 (dìngjiǔyāo)

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Standard)
       (Pinyin): yào (yao$^4$)
       (Zhuyin): ㄧㄠˋ
    (Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): ё (i͡o, III)
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu$^3$
* Gan (Wiktionary): ieu$^1$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): yeu
* Jin (Wiktionary): iau$^1$
* Northern Min (KCR): ia̿u
* Eastern Min (BUC): iéu
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): iàu
    (Teochew, Peng'im): iou$^3$ / iao$^3$
* Wu (Wugniu)
** (Northern): $^5$iau
** (Jinhua): $^5$iau
* Xiang (Changsha, Wiktionary): iau$^1$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: yào
*** Zhuyin: ㄧㄠˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: yào
*** Wade–Giles: yao$^4$
*** Yale: yàu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yaw
*** Palladius: яо (jao)
*** Sinological IPA : /jɑʊ̯⁵¹/
** (Dungan)
*** Cyrillic and Wiktionary: ё (i͡o, III)
*** Sinological IPA : /iɔː⁴⁴/
    (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jiu$^3$
*** Yale: yiu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jiu$^3$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yiu$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /jiːu̯³³/
* Gan
** (Nanchang)
*** Wiktionary: ieu$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /iɛu⁴²/
* Hakka
** (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yeu
*** Hakka Romanization System: ieu
*** Hagfa Pinyim: yeu$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /i̯eu̯⁵⁵/
** (Southern Sixian, incl. Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yeu
*** Hakka Romanization System: (r)ieu
*** Hagfa Pinyim: yeu$^4$
*** Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯eu̯⁵⁵/
* Jin
** (Taiyuan)
*** Wiktionary: iau$^1$
*** Sinological IPA (old-style): /iau¹¹/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: ia̿u
*** Sinological IPA : /iau³³/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: iéu
*** Sinological IPA : /iɛu²¹³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iàu
*** Tâi-lô: iàu
*** Phofsit Daibuun: iaux
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Kaohsiung): /iau²¹/
*** IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /iau⁴¹/
*** IPA (Taipei): /iau¹¹/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: iou$^3$ / iao$^3$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iòu / iàu
*** Sinological IPA : /iou²¹³/, /iau²¹³/
* iou3 - Chaozhou;
* iao3 - Shantou, Jieyang, Chaoyang.
* Middle Chinese: 'jiewH
Rime :
| Character | 要 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 影 (34) |
| Final (韻) | 宵 (91) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | III |
| Fanqie | 於笑切 |
| Baxter | 'jiewH |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /ʔiᴇu$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /ʔiɛu$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /ʔjæu$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /ʔiaw$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /ʔiɛu$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /ĭɛu$^H$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /ʔi̯ɛu$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | yào |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | jiu$^3$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[q]ew(k)-s/
    (Zhengzhang): /*qews/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 要 |
| Reading # | 1/1 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | yào |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ ʔjiew$^H$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*[q]ew(k)-s/ |
| English | important |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 要 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| No. | 14752 |
| Phonetic component | 要 |
| Rime group | 宵 |
| Rime subdivision | 2 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 要 |
| Old Chinese | /*qews/ |

#### Definitions

要
* 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?
* 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?
       Zhè běn shū nǐ hái yào ma? [Pinyin]
       Do you still want this book?
       Tā xiǎng yào yī bù xīn shǒujī. [Pinyin]
       He wants to have a new cell phone.
* to ask for
       Wǒ yào le yī píng píjiǔ. [Pinyin]
       I asked for a bottle of beer.
       Dìdì yòu gēn māmā yào qián le. [Pinyin]
       My brother asked mom for money again.
* to request
       Tā yào wǒ gěi tā mǎi běn shū. [Pinyin]
       He requested that I buy a book for him.
       Lǎobǎn yào wǒ mǎshàng huífù. [Pinyin]
       My boss demanded that I reply immediately.
* to need
       Cóng zhèlǐ dào Shànghǎi yào liǎng ge xiǎoshí. [Pinyin]
       It takes two hours to reach Shanghai from here.
       Yǎng dà yī ge háizǐ yào duōshào qián? [Pinyin]
       How much does it take to raise a child?
* will; going to (future auxiliary)
    我要走了。 ― Wǒ yào zǒu le. ― I am going to go.
       Wǒ pà wǒmen yào chídào le. [Pinyin]
       I fear that we will be late.
       ceot$^1$ bin$^6$ gam$^3$ hak$^1$, jau$^6$ hou$^2$ ci$^5$ jiu$^3$ lok$^6$ jyu$^5$ gam$^2$. [Jyutping]
       It looks like it's going to rain outside.
    From: The Dirgha Agama, translated by Buddhayaśas and Zhu Fonian circa 5th 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.’
* should; must; to have to
    不要喝酒。 ― Bùyào hē jiǔ. ― Don't drink alcohol.
       Nǐ jīntiān yīdìng yào qù kànbìng. [Pinyin]
       You must go to the doctor today.
       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.
* vital; important
    要職／要职 ― yàozhí ― important post
    主要 ― zhǔyào ― main
* important points; essentials
* if; in case of
       Yào jì yāodài, jiù yòngbùzháo diàodài le. [Pinyin]
       You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt.
* (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

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 欲$_1$ |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 要, 欲$_1$ |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 要 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 要, 想 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 要 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 要 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 要 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 要 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 要 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 要 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 要 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 要 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 要 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 要 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 要, 想 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 要, 想 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Dapeng) | 愛 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 愛 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 要, 想, 愛 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 要, 想 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 要 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 愛 |
| Hakka | Longmen (Luxi; Bendihua) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Meilin) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Zijin | 愛 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 愛, 討 |
| Hakka | Kuching (Hepo) | 愛 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 要 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 讓 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 愛, 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 欲$_3$, 愛 |
| Southern Min | Medan (Hokkien) | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Qionghai | 欲$_3$ |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 欲$_3$ |
| Wu | Shanghai | 要 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 要 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 愛 |
| Wu | Lishui | 樂 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 要 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 要 |
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 要 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 要 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 要 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 要 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 要 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 要 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 要 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 要 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 要 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 要 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 要 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 要 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 要 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 要, 愛 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 要, 愛 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 愛, 捰 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 要 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 要 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 要 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 愛 |
| Hakka | Longmen (Luxi; Bendihua) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 愛 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 愛 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 要 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 要 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 讓 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 欲挃, 挃 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 欲挃 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 欲挃 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 欲挃 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 欲挃 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 欲挃, 挃, 愛 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 愛 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 要 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 要 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 要 |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 要 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 要 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 要 |

#### Descendants

* → Japanese: 要(よう) (yō)
* → Korean: 요(要) (yo)
* → Vietnamese: yếu (要)

#### Compounds

* 不待要
* 不得要領 / 不得要领 (bùdéyàolǐng)
* 不著要
* 不要 (bùyào)
* 不要忙
* 不要緊 / 不要紧 (bùyàojǐn)
* 不要臉 / 不要脸 (bùyàoliǎn)
* 不關緊要 / 不关紧要
* 不需要
* 且要
* 主要 (zhǔyào)
* 位居要津
* 偏要 (piānyào)
* 傳神秘要 / 传神秘要
* 兵要 (bīngyào)
* 兵要圖 / 兵要图
* 典要
* 切要 (qièyào)
* 動中窾要 / 动中窾要
* 勢要 / 势要 (shìyào)
* 千金要方
* 原始要終 / 原始要终
* 又要
* 只要 (zhǐyào)
* 咽喉要路
* 唐會要 / 唐会要
* 國內要聞 / 国内要闻
* 國力要素 / 国力要素
* 多端寡要
* 大要 (dàyào)
* 妙言要道
* 宋會要 / 宋会要
* 將要 / 将要 (jiāngyào)
* 就要
* 必要 (bìyào)
* 必要條件 / 必要条件 (bìyào tiáojiàn)
* 快要 (kuàiyào)
* 急要 (jíyào)
* 打要
* 抓尖要強 / 抓尖要强
* 扼要 (èyào)
* 指要 (zhǐyào)
* 提要 (tíyào)
* 摘要 (zhāiyào)
* 撮要 (cuōyào)
* 擇要 / 择要 (zéyào)
* 政要 (zhèngyào)
* 旨要 (zhǐyào)
* 會要 / 会要
* 有緊沒要 / 有紧没要
* 有要沒緊 / 有要没紧
* 概要 (gàiyào)
* 樞要 / 枢要
* 機要 / 机要 (jīyào)
* 權要 / 权要
* 權豪勢要 / 权豪势要
* 權貴顯要 / 权贵显要
* 次要 (cìyào)
* 款要
* 正要 (zhèngyào)
* 死不要臉 / 死不要脸
* 死要臉 / 死要脸
* 沒緊要 / 没紧要
* 沒要緊 / 没要紧
* 法書要錄 / 法书要录
* 治要
* 津要 (jīnyào)
* 清要
* 無關緊要 / 无关紧要 (wúguānjǐnyào)
* 爭勝要強 / 争胜要强
* 硬是要得
* 硬要 (yìngyào)
* 祕要 / 秘要
* 秉要執本 / 秉要执本
* 窮極要妙 / 穷极要妙
* 第一要緊 / 第一要紧
* 節要 / 节要
* 簡明扼要 / 简明扼要 (jiǎnmíng èyào)
* 簡要 / 简要 (jiǎnyào)
* 紀要 / 纪要 (jìyào)
* 緊要 / 紧要 (jǐnyào)
* 綱要 / 纲要 (gāngyào)
* 緊要處 / 紧要处
* 緊要關頭 / 紧要关头 (jǐnyào guāntóu)
* 練要 / 练要
* 總要 / 总要
* 至要
* 舉要刪蕪 / 举要删芜
* 舉要治繁 / 举要治繁
* 衝要 / 冲要
* 襟要
* 要不 (yàobù)
* 要不得 (yàobùdé)
* 要不然 (yàobùrán)
* 要不的
* 要事 (yàoshì)
* 要人 (yàorén)
* 要人好看
* 要件 (yàojiàn)
* 要價 / 要价 (yàojià)
* 要價還價 / 要价还价
* 要公
* 要切
* 要則 / 要则
* 要務 / 要务 (yàowù)
* 要千取萬 / 要千取万
* 要口
* 要命 (yàomìng)
* 要命鬼
* 要員 / 要员 (yàoyuán)
* 要圖 / 要图 (yàotú)
* 要地 (yàodì)
* 要塞 (yàosài)
* 要好 (yàohǎo)
* 要好成歉
* 要害 (yàohài)
* 要帳 / 要帐 (yàozhàng)
* 要強 / 要强 (yàoqiáng)
* 要得 (yàodé)
* 要旨 (yàozhǐ)
* 要是 (yàoshi)
* 要案
* 要死 (yàosǐ)
* 要死要活
* 要津 (yàojīn)
* 要犯 (yàofàn)
* 要略 (yàolüè)
* 要目 (yàomù)
* 要知
* 要端
* 要約 / 要约
* 要素 (yàosù)
* 要緊 / 要紧 (yàojǐn)
* 要義 / 要义 (yàoyì)
* 要而言之
* 要聞 / 要闻 (yàowén)
* 要職 / 要职 (yàozhí)
* 要臉 / 要脸 (yàoliǎn)
* 要衝 / 要冲 (yàochōng)
* 要角
* 要言
* 要言不煩 / 要言不烦
* 要言妙道
* 要訣 / 要诀 (yàojué)
* 要證 / 要证
* 要路
* 要路津
* 要近
* 要道 (yàodào)
* 要錢 / 要钱
* 要隘 (yào'ài)
* 要面子
* 要項 / 要项
* 要領 / 要领
* 要飯 / 要饭 (yàofàn)
* 要飯的 / 要饭的 (yàofànde)
* 要麼 / 要么 (yàome)
* 要點 / 要点 (yàodiǎn)
* 記要 / 记要 (jìyào)
* 貞觀政要 / 贞观政要
* 貴要 / 贵要
* 蹊要
* 輯要 / 辑要
* 達官顯要 / 达官显要 (dáguānxiǎnyào)
* 道要
* 重要 (zhòngyào)
* 重要分子
* 重要性 (zhòngyàoxìng)
* 金匱要略 / 金匮要略
* 鉤元提要 / 钩元提要
* 鉤玄提要 / 钩玄提要
* 險要 / 险要 (xiǎnyào)
* 需要 (xūyào)
* 靖康要錄 / 靖康要录
* 韻會舉要 / 韵会举要
* 須要 / 须要 (xūyào)
* 顯要 / 显要 (xiǎnyào)
* 首要 (shǒuyào)
* 體要 / 体要
* 齊民要術 / 齐民要术

### Pronunciation 3

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): yǎo (yao$^3$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄧㄠˇ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): jiu$^2$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: yǎo
*** Zhuyin: ㄧㄠˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: yǎo
*** Wade–Giles: yao$^3$
*** Yale: yǎu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeau
*** Palladius: яо (jao)
*** Sinological IPA : /jɑʊ̯²¹⁴/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: jiu$^2$
*** Yale: yíu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: jiu$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: yiu$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /jiːu̯³⁵/

#### Definitions

要
* (archaic) Alternative form of 偠 (yǎo)
* Used in 要褭／要袅.

#### Compounds

* 要妙
* 要眇
* 要紹 / 要绍
* 要褭 / 要袅

### References

* “要”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎, 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

## Japanese

| Shinjitai | 要 |
| Kyūjitai | 要󠄁 要+&#xE0101; (Adobe-Japan1) |
| Kyūjitai | 要󠄃 要+&#xE0103; (Hanyo-Denshi) (Moji_Joho) |
| The displayed kanji may be different from the image due to your environment. See here for details. |||

### Kanji

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji)
* need, necessity
* essential

#### Readings

* Go-on: よう (yō, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: よう (yō, Jōyō)
* Kun: いる (iru, 要る, Jōyō)、かなめ (kaname, 要, Jōyō)、かのめ (kanome, 要)、ぬま (numa, 要)、ぬみ (numi, 要)

#### Compounds

* 肝(かん)要(よう) (kan'yō, “critical; vital”)
* 概(がい)要(よう) (gaiyō)
* 強(きょう)要(よう) (kyōyō)
* 主(しゅ)要(よう) (shuyō)
* 所(しょ)要(よう) (shoyō)
* 重(じゅう)要(よう) (jūyō)
* 需(じゅ)要(よう) (juyō)
* 必(ひつ)要(よう) (hitsuyō)
** 不(ふ)必(ひつ)要(よう) (fuhitsuyō)
* 不(ふ)要(よう) (fuyō)
* 法(ほう)要(よう) (hōyō, “wake; memorial service”)
* 要(よう)員(いん) (yōin)
* 要(よう)因(いん) (yōin)
* 要(よう)求(きゅう) (yōkyū)
* 要(よう)件(けん) (yōken)
* 要(よう)綱(こう) (yōkō, “gist; general idea”)
* 要(よう)項(こう) (yōkō, “main points”)
* 要(よう)塞(さい) (yōsai)
* 要(よう)旨(し) (yōshi)
* 要(よう)所(しょ) (yōsho, “important position”)
* 要(よう)衝(しょう) (yōshō)
* 要(よう)職(しょく) (yōshoku)
* 要(よう)人(じん) (yōjin)
* 要(よう)請(せい) (yōsei)
* 要(よう)素(そ) (yōso)
* 要(よう)注(ちゅう)意(い) (yōchūi, “special care required”)
* 要(よう)点(てん) (yōten)
* 要(よう)望(ぼう) (yōbō)
* 要(よう)約(やく) (yōyaku)
* 要(よう)領(りょう) (yōryō)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 要
* よう Grade: 4
* on'yomi
From Middle Chinese 要 (MC 'jiew|'jiewH).
First cited to 611 CE.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) よー [yóꜜò] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [jo̞ː]

#### Noun

要(よう) • (yō)
* [611] key, important point
* [circa 999] essential piece of something, requirement
    要(よう)予約(よやく)
       yō yoyaku
       reservation is required
    要(よう)確認(かくにん)
       yō kakunin
       to be confirmed

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 要
* かなめ Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
/kani no me/ → /kanome/ → /kaname/
A shift from older 蟹の目 (kani no me, “crab's eye”) from a superficial resemblance of the round pinhead of a folding fan to a crab's eye, influenced by a reanalysis of the term as 金目 (kaname, literally “metal” + visually prominent feature), as the pins were increasingly made from metal instead of earlier bamboo, wood, or whalebone.
First cited to 1220.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) かなめ [kànámé] (Heiban – [0])
* IPA: [ka̠na̠me̞]

#### Noun

要(かなめ) • (kaname)
* [1254] a pin or rivet holding the spines of a folding fan together
    Synonyms: 要 (kanome), 蟹の目 (kani no me)
* [1220] (by extension) a pivot, cornerstone, keystone
    Synonym: (cornerstone, keystone) 要石 (kaname ishi)
* [1612] a pin, often decorated, holding the handle to the tang of a katana
    Synonym: 目貫 (menuki)
* [1712] Short for 要黐 (kaname mochi): a tree, Japanese photinia (Photinia glabra)
    Synonyms: カナメモチ (kaname mochi), (kanji spelling seems to be less common) 要黐 (kaname mochi)
* [1906] (architecture) in a certain kind of traditional Japanese hip roof where the rafters splay out like the spines of a fan, the central point to which the rafter lines converge
    Coordinate term: (literally “fan rafter”) 扇垂木 (ōgi taruki)

#### Proper noun

要(かなめ) • (Kaname)
* a female given name

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 要
* かのめ Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
/kani no me/ → /kanome/
A shift from older 蟹の目 (kani no me, “crab's eye”) from a superficial resemblance of the round pinhead of a folding fan to a crab's eye, influenced by a reanalysis of the term as 金目 (kaname, literally “metal” + visually prominent feature), as the pins were increasingly made from metal instead of earlier bamboo, wood, or whalebone.
First cited to roughly 1140. This reading may be obsolete, and it is not included in some dictionaries.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ka̠no̞me̞]

#### Noun

要(かのめ) • (kanome)
* [circa 1140] (archaic, possibly obsolete) the pin or rivet holding the spines of a folding fan together

##### Derived terms

* 要(かなめ) (kaname)

### Etymology 4

* Kanji in this term
* 要
* ぬみ Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
* Kanji in this term
* 要
* ぬま Grade: 4
* kun'yomi
* Alternative spelling
* 要害
From Old Japanese. Further derivation unknown.
First cited in the Nihon Shoki of 720 CE, listed with both readings numa and numi.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: [nɯ̟ma̠]
* IPA: [nɯ̟mʲi]

#### Noun

要(ぬま) or 要(ぬみ) • (numa or numi)
* [720] (archaic, possibly obsolete) fortress, redoubt
* [720] (archaic, possibly obsolete) important point, key

### References

* ↑ Haga, Gōtarō (1914) 漢和大辞書 [The Great Kanji-Japanese Dictionary] (in Japanese), Fourth edition, Tōkyō: Kōbunsha, →DOI, page 1937 (paper), page 1020 (digital)
* 1 2 3 “要”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
* 1 2 3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 “要／かなめ”, in 語源由来辞典 (Gogen Yurai Jiten, “Etymology Derivation Dictionary”) (in Japanese), 2003–2025.
* 1 2 NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
* 1 2 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* ↑ “要害・要”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006

## Korean
### Hanja

要 (eumhun 중요할 요 (jung'yohal yo))
* hanja form of 요 (“importance”)

#### Compounds

* 주요(主要) (juyo, “main”)

## Vietnamese
### Han character

要: Hán Nôm readings: yếu, yêu
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.