首要

• Pinyin: shǒu yào
• Hanzi breakdown: 首 = pictograph of a head, extended to 'first, leading'; 要 = 西 + 女 (cover + woman — originally to seize; extended to mean essential, important)

Meaning

Primary; foremost; of paramount importance; the most critical.

Used to rank something as the single most important item in a set of priorities, tasks, or principles. Stronger than 主要 (main; major — implies one of several important things) and more formal than 最重要 (most important — colloquial superlative). Frequently appears in political, policy, legal, and strategic texts. Key collocations: 首要任务 (primary task); 首要目标 (primary objective); 首要原则 (foremost principle); 首要条件 (primary condition).

Examples

1. 在复杂国际形势下，维护地区和平仍是外交努力的首要目标。 In a complex international situation, maintaining regional peace remains the foremost goal of diplomatic efforts.
2. 医学伦理的首要原则是不伤害患者，医生必须先权衡风险。 The foremost principle of medical ethics is to do no harm, so doctors must weigh risks first.
3. 企业转型期，建立透明的治理结构是首要任务。 During a company's transformation, building a transparent governance structure is the foremost task.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, strategy, law, ethics, business

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 应对公共卫生危机时，保护医护人员安全应是首要原则。(When responding to a public health crisis, protecting the safety of medical workers should be the foremost principle.)
• 推进法治建设是现代化治理的首要任务，关键在于公正适用法律。(Advancing the rule of law is the foremost task of modern governance, and the key is to apply the law fairly.)

Don't Say

• 首要 for items that are merely one of several important concerns without clear priority — use 主要 (main; major) or 重要 (important); 首要 specifically signals the single top priority in a ranked order and sounds overstated when used loosely

Origin & History

首 (head; first) + 要 (important; essential — 西 cover + 女 woman, originally to seize/demand; extended to 'essential, required')

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal