要yào

Ⅰ  （重要） important; essential: 紧 ～ extremely important; ～ 事 an important matter [affair] Ⅱ （重要的内容） essential points; headline: 纲 ～ outline; sketch; essentials; 摘 ～ summary; abstract; 内容提 ～ capsule summary of a book; 择 ～ 记录 note down the essential points Ⅲ  ❶ (希望得到； 希望保持) want; ask for; wish; desire: 各国人民都 ～ 和平。 All nations want peace. 谁没有票， 问她 ～。 Anyone without a ticket can ask her for one. 我想 ～ 一个房间。 I wish for a room. ～ 炮兵指挥所。 Artillery command post, please. 她 ～ 我等着。 She desired me to wait.
❷ (请求； 要求) ask [want] sb. to do sth.: 那位老人 ～ 我替他写封信。 The old man asked me to write a letter for him. 他 ～ 你回去工作。 He wants you back to work. 她 ～ 我陪你去。 She asked me to go with you.
❸ （想要） want to; wish to: 他 ～ 同市长谈一谈。 He wishes to talk to the mayor. 我还有几句话 ～ 说。 I'd like to say a few more words.
❹ （表示做某事的意志） want; have a desire for: 他 ～ 学世界语。 He wants to learn Esperanto.
❺ (须要； 应该) must; should; it is necessary [imperative, essential): 你说话做事都 ～ 当心。 You must be careful as to what you say or do. 我们 ～ 向先进工作者学习。 We should learn from advanced workers. ～ 相信群众。 We must have faith in the masses.
❻ （将要） shall; will; be going to: 天快 ～ 黑了。 It is going to be dark soon. ～ 下雨了。 It is going to rain.
❼ （需要） need; take: 到那里 ～ 两个小时。 It takes two hours to get there. 这活儿 ～ 不了这么多人。You don't need so many people for this job. 这项任务 ～ 十天才能完成。It will take ten days to get the work done.
❽ (表示估计， 用于比较) might; must: 今天 ～ 比昨天冷。 It's colder today than yesterday. 你们 ～ 比我们辛苦得多。 You must have had a much tougher time than we did. Ⅳ  （如果） if; suppose; in case: 明天 ～ 下雨， 我们就不去了。 If it rains tomorrow, we won't go. 他 ～ 不去， 我也不去。 If he won't go, nor shall I. ～ 不是他指引， 我们就迷路了。 If it weren't for him, we would have gone astray. 我 ～ 忘了就请提醒我一下。 In case I forget, please remind me about it. 你父亲 ～ 看见你， 他会怎么说？ Suppose your father saw you what would he say?
另见 see also yāo。
◆要隘 strategic pass; 要不 otherwise; or else; or; 要不得 no good; intolerable; 要不是 if it were not for; but for; 要冲 communications centre; communications hub; 要道 thoroughfare; 要得 [方] good; fine; desirable; 要地 important place; strategic point; 要点 main points; key point; essentials; pivot; gist; 要犯 important criminal; 要饭 beg; 要害 vital part; crucial point; vulnerability; strategic point; key; 要好 be on good terms; be close friends; eager to improve oneself; try hard to make progress; 要价 ask a price; charge; offer; 要件 important document; important condition; 要津 [书] key post; 要紧 important; essential; be critical; be serious; matter; 要领 main points; essentials; gist; 要么 or; either ... or ...; 要面子 be keen on face-saving; be anxious to keep up appearances; 要命 drive sb. to his death; kill; confound￣ edly; extremely; awfully; terribly; a nuisance; 要强 be eager to excel; be anxious to outdo others; 要人 very important person (V. I. P.); important personage; 要塞 fort; fortress; fortification; stronghold; 要是 if; suppose; in case; 要死要活 desperate; 要素 essential factor; key element; part; element; factor; 要闻 important news; front-page story; 要员 important official; 要账 demand payment of a debt; press for repayment of a loan; dun; 要职 important post; 要子 rope made of straw for bundling up wheat or rice; strip-formed piece for bundling up goods or packing