Chinese Conversation · Level 55
90 words
Chinese word
索要
Pronunciation
Pinyinsuǒ yào
Meaning
- verbask for
Example
我向老板索要加班费。wǒ xiàng láo bǎn suǒ yào jiā bān fèi
I asked my boss for overtime pay.
More examples
客户向我索要发票。kè hù xiàng wǒ suǒ yào fā piào
The customer asked me for an invoice.
Core concept
A person keeps seeking a concrete thing from someone else, with the pressure ranging from insistence to pleading.
Common phrases
向老板索要加班费xiàng láo bǎn suǒ yào jiā bān fèi
ask the boss for overtime pay
索要发票suǒ yào fā piào
ask for an invoice
索要赔偿suǒ yào péi cháng
ask for compensation
Similar words
要求yāo qiú: Firmly stating what someone must provide or what condition someone must accept.
请求qǐng qiú: Making a polite request for someone to agree or provide help.
索取suó qǔ: Seeking to obtain money or documents directly from someone.
讨要tǎo yào: Pressing someone to return a borrowed item or hand over money that is owed.
Definition in Chinese
向对方要求并索取，常指金钱、证件或应得之物。xiàng duì fāng yāo qiú bìng suó qǔ cháng zhǐ jīn qián zhèng jiàn huò yīng dé zhī wù
Word origin
索 (suǒ, "seek") contributes the idea of reaching for something, while 要 (yào, "want or require") makes the compound a request directed at another person.
Usage tips
- The verb is especially natural in workplace, legal, and administrative settings, where the object is often a payment, certificate, or other item that should be supplied.