要約する

• Reading: ようやくする
• Romaji: youyaku suru
• Kanji breakdown: 要 (you) — essential; 約 (yaku) — bind, condense, abbreviate
• Pronunciation: /jo.ɯ.ja.kɯ.sɯ.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To summarise; to condense. To express the main points of something in a shorter form.

A する verb meaning to condense a longer text, speech, or argument into its essential points. The noun form 要約 (summary) is equally common. A key academic and business skill — frequently tested in JLPT reading sections where examinees must identify or create summaries. Distinct from 要旨 (the gist itself) — 要約する is the active process of condensing.

Examples

1. この論文を三百字以内に要約してください。 Please summarize this paper in 300 characters or fewer.
2. 会議の内容を要約して報告した。 I summarized the meeting content and gave a report.
3. 長い文章を要約するのが得意だ。 I'm good at summarizing long passages.

Usage Guide

Context: academics, business, writing, presentations

Tone: formal

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 要 (you, essential) + 約 (yaku, to bind/condense/abbreviate). Together: 'to bind the essential parts' — to condense something to its core.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated