要
要 (yào) means “to want”. It is made of 覀 + 女 and has 9 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word.
Break 要 into its parts
What 要 is made of
- 覀 xī — west
- 女 nǚ — woman
Origin hint: A woman 女 with hands on her waist 覀 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
我要一杯茶。Wǒ yào yī bēi chá.I'd like a cup of tea.
你要去哪儿？Nǐ yào qù nǎr?Where are you going?
Words with 要
Also built with 覀
Quick facts
| Pinyin | yào |
|---|---|
| Meaning | to want; will; need to |
| Strokes | 9 |
| Radical | 襾 (west, #146) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 3.0 · Level 4 · HSK 2.0 · Level 2 |
Questions about 要
What does 要 mean?
要 (yào) means “to want; will; need to”.
How many strokes does 要 have?
要 has 9 strokes.
What is the radical of 要?
The radical of 要 is 襾 (yà, “west”), Kangxi radical number 146.
What parts make up 要?
要 is made of 覀 (west) and 女 (woman).
Which HSK level is 要?
要 is in HSK 3.0 · Level 4 and HSK 2.0 · Level 2.
Learn 要 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 · Group 2: 10 words with quick checks and spaced repeats.