💡
Choosing Mnemonics

Pick the mnemonic story that sticks best for you by clicking its ☆ — there's no wrong choice, and you'll be able to write your own soon. Then press Continue.

yāo = y + ao1
to demand / to request / to coerce
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
yào = y + ao4
important / vital / to want / to ask for / will / going to (as future auxiliary) / may / must / (used in a comparison) must be / probably / if
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
yāo = y + ao1
(bound form) to demand; to coerce
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
yào = y + ao4
to want; to need; to ask for / will; shall; about to / need to; should / if (same as 要是[yao4 shi5]) / (bound form) important
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…

How to pronounce 要

MandarinBanana teaches pronunciation with the Marilyn Method: every Pinyin syllable is one initial plus one final, the initial becomes a person, an animal or a deity, and the final becomes a place in your memory palace — with the tone deciding which part of that place the scene happens in. Remember the little story below for each half and the whole syllable comes back with them.

= y initial

Y is for Maud Younger.

By Matthias • updated about 2 months ago
+ ao1 final

In front of the aorta.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago
= y initial

Y is for Maud Younger.

By Matthias • updated about 2 months ago
+ ao4 final

In the aorta’s bathroom.

By Matthias • updated 5 months ago

要 character breakdown

Chinese characters are built out of smaller characters. Each component carries a mnemonic symbol - one concrete object that stands in for it - and a mnemonic story hands those objects to the person and the place that stand for the pronunciation. Learn a component once and every character that reuses it gets easier.

Component Translations
female / woman / daughter
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
= ru + Ø3
archaic variant of 汝[ru3]
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
Character component without intrinsic meaning
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…

Characters with 要 as component

yǎo = y + ao3
svelte / sylphlike
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
biáo = bi + ao2
(dialect) don't / must not / (contraction of 不 and 要)
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
yāo = y + ao1
Polygala japonica / lush (grass)
Loading...
Loading mnemonics…
Loading...

Words with 要

show 179 more
if only / so long as
to request / to require / requirement / to stake a claim / to ask / to demand / CL:點|点[dian3]
necessary / essential / indispensable / required

Sentences with 要

bān
sēn
xiǎng
yào
shì
duì
ma
Bansom, do you want to be a team?

Want to remember 要 for good?

Make it your learning target and MandarinBanana works out the shortest route to it: the two sounds its syllable is built from, then the components of the character itself, one short step at a time. No account needed to start.

yāo / yào

4 translations

Comments
There aren't any comments yet.

Prompt snippets

No snippets yet.