Each colour is one part of the character. Parts repeat across thousands of characters, so learning them makes new words easier. See all 214 in our radicals chart.
简jiǎnsimple
⺮bamboo form of 竹 · zhúMeaning part
间between · jiānSound part
⺮ hints at the meaning (bamboo); 间 (jiān) hints at the sound. Compare it with jiǎn.
要yàoto want; to need; to ask for
覀cover form of 襾 · yà
女woman · nǚ
Memory aidOnce drawn as a person with hands on the waist, its first meaning. That meaning moved to 腰 (yāo), and 要 became “to want”.
How to write 简要
简 13 strokes · 要 9 strokes
Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.
Stroke order chart for 简要 (jiǎnyào). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.
简要 (jiǎnyào) means “brief” or “concise”. It is an HSK 6 word.
Say it jiǎnyào: jiǎn with a 3rd tone, then yào with a 4th tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
In Traditional characters, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, 简要 is written 簡要. The pronunciation is the same.
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type jianyao with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 简要 from the suggestions. Typing jianyao into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
简要 is an HSK 6 word in the HSK 2.0 word lists.
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Sources: meaning and pinyin checked by a native Mandarin teacher against the official HSK lists. Extra meanings from CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Example sentences written by WillyChina. Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.
简jiǎn3rd tone, dipping
要yào4th tone, falling
