需要是发明之母

Necessity is the mother of invention (European proverb).

to require / to need / to want / necessity / need

to need / to want / to demand / to require / requirement / need

to demand / to request / to coerce

important / vital / to want / to ask for / will / going to (as future auxiliary) / may / must / (used in a comparison) must be / probably / if

(bound form) to demand; to coerce

to want; to need; to ask for / will; shall; about to / need to; should / if (same as 要是[yao4 shi5]) / (bound form) important

(coll.) if

variant of 是[shi4] / (used in given names)

to be (followed by substantives only) / correct; right; true / (respectful acknowledgement of a command) very well / (adverb for emphatic assertion)

to send out / to show (one's feeling) / to issue / to develop / to make a bundle of money / classifier for gunshots (rounds)

hair / Taiwan pr. [fa3]

to invent / an invention / CL:個|个[ge4]

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) / surname Ming / Ming (c. 2000 BC), fourth of the legendary Flame Emperors, 炎帝[Yan2 di4] descended from Shennong 神農|神农[Shen2 nong2] Farmer God

bright / opposite: dark 暗[an4] / (of meaning) clear / to understand / next / public or open / wise / generic term for a sacrifice to the gods

(possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的[de5]) / him / her / it

mother / elderly female relative / origin / source / (of animals) female