HSK 3 · Verbs

要求 yāoqiú “to request” in Chinese

Same in Traditional

What 要求 means

  1. to request
  2. to demand
  3. requirement
  4. to require
  5. to stake a claim
More meanings from CC-CEDICT
  • to ask

Measure word 点 diǎn · 一点要求 yì diǎn yāoqiú

How to say 要求

  • Pitch chart of the first tone: stays high and level, 5 to 5 on the five-level scale要yāo1st tone, high and level
  • Pitch chart of the second tone: rises from mid to high, 3 to 5 on the five-level scale求qiú2nd tone, rising

要求 in a sentence

  1. 他要求我马上付钱。

    Tā yāoqiú wǒ mǎshàng fù qián.

    He asked me to pay straight away.

    Sentence #2188432 from Tatoeba · translation adapted

  2. 他的要求很合理。

    Tā de yāoqiú hěn hélǐ.

    His request is very reasonable.

    Sentence #349983 from Tatoeba

  3. 可以说说您的具体要求吗？

    Kěyǐ shuōshuo nín de jùtǐ yāoqiú ma?

    Could you tell me what your specific requirements are?

    Sentence #747525 from Tatoeba

How 要求 is built

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.

The character 要 (yào) with each of its parts in a different colour
要yāoto demand; to coerce
  • 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”.

The character 求 (qiú) drawn as one shape
求qiúto seek

求 is a single shape of 7 strokes. Learn it whole, then watch its stroke order below.

Memory aidTraditionally said to show a fur coat, now written 裘 (qiú); some scholars see a centipede instead. Today 求 means “to ask for”.

How to write 要求

要 9 strokes · 求 7 strokes

Watch the order, then press Try writing it and draw each stroke in the grid. Each stroke is checked as you go.

要求 (yāoqiú) stroke order chart: each stroke of the characters in the order you write them
Stroke order chart for 要求 (yāoqiú). Red marks the next stroke, so you can copy it onto paper one step at a time.

Words related to 要求

Words with 要

不要bùyào · don’t!要yào · want快要kuàiyào · about to需要xūyào · to need重要zhòngyào · important主要zhǔyào · main就要jiùyào · about to要是yàoshi · if只要zhǐyào · if only必要bìyào · necessary

Words with 求

请求qǐngqiú · to request征求zhēngqiú · to solicit追求zhuīqiú · to pursue (a goal)求qiú · to seek力求lìqiú · to strive to谋求móuqiú · to seek需求xūqiú · demand急于求成jíyúqiúchéng · too eager for success精益求精jīngyìqiújīng · to strive for perfection供不应求gōngbùyìngqiú · demand exceeds supply

More words: Thinking & Talking

相信xiāngxìn · to believe小心xiǎoxīn · be careful需要xūyào · to need选择xuǎnzé · select应该yīnggāi · should影响yǐngxiǎng · influence愿意yuànyì · be willing着急zháojí · to worry

FAQs

要求 (yāoqiú) means “to request” or “to demand”. It is an HSK 3 word.
Say it yāoqiú: yāo with a 1st tone, then qiú with a 2nd tone. Press Listen at the top of this page to hear it, or Slowly to hear each tone clearly.
Yes. 要求 is written the same way in Simplified and Traditional characters.
Use 点 (diǎn). For example, one to request is 一点要求 (yì diǎn yāoqiú).
Add a Chinese (Simplified) pinyin keyboard to your phone or computer, type yaoqiu with no tone marks or spaces, then choose 要求 from the suggestions. Typing yaoqiu into this dictionary’s search box finds it too.
要求 is an HSK 3 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 from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). Character parts and stroke order from Make Me a Hanzi.