要求

• Pinyin: yāo qiú
• Hanzi breakdown: 要 = 西 (west) + 女 (woman), originally depicted a woman's waist, later meaning 'important/want'; 求 = depicts fur or a ball, meaning 'to seek'

Meaning

To require or demand; a requirement or demand. Used both as a verb and a noun.

As a verb, 要求 means to ask someone to do something with some authority or expectation. As a noun, it refers to requirements or standards that must be met. Common patterns include 要求某人做某事 (yāoqiú mǒurén zuò mǒushì, to require someone to do something). It is stronger than 请求 (qǐngqiú, to request) but less forceful than 命令 (mìnglìng, to order).

Examples

1. 老师要求我们每天写作业。 The teacher requires us to do homework every day.
2. 这个工作的要求不太高。 The requirements for this job are not too high.
3. 妈妈要求我早点回家。 Mum requires me to come home early.

Usage Guide

Context: school, workplace

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 公司对我们有很多要求。(The company has many requirements for us.)
• 他要求自己每天运动。(He requires himself to exercise every day.)

Don't Say

• 我要求你帮我买咖啡 (Too strong for a casual favour — say 你能帮我买杯咖啡吗？; 要求 implies authority and sounds like a demand between friends)

Origin & History

A compound of 要 (yāo, to demand/want) and 求 (qiú, to seek/request). Together they form a word meaning to demand or seek with purpose.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal