Chinese word

要求

Pronunciation

Pinyinyāo qiú

Meaning

  • verbdemand

Example

妈妈要求我先写完作业再玩。mā mā yāo qiú wǒ xiān xiě wán zuò yè zài wán

Mom demands that I finish my homework before I play.

Illustration for 要求 (demand)

More examples

老师要求学生做好作业。lǎo shī yāo qiú xué shēng zuò hǎo zuò yè

The teacher required the students to do their homework well.

Core concept

A clear push for another person to act or meet a condition.

Common phrases

  • 要求你做作业yāo qiú nǐ zuò zuò yè

    require you to do your homework

  • 要求他道歉yāo qiú tā dào qiàn

    require him to apologize

  • 被要求改正错误bèi yāo qiú gǎi zhèng cuò wù

    be required to correct errors

Similar words

要yào: Wanting someone to do something and expressing that wish directly.
请qǐng: Making a polite request for someone to do something.
需要xū yào: Indicating that something is needed for a purpose or situation.
希望xī wàng: Wishing for a certain event or result to happen.

Definition in Chinese

向别人提出希望或条件，要求对方做某事或满足某种需要。xiàng bié rén tí chū xī wàng huò tiáo jiàn yāo qiú duì fāng zuò mǒu shì huò mǎn zú móu zhǒng xū yào

Word origin

要求 (yāoqiú, "demand") combines 要 (yào, "need") with 求 (qiú, "seek"), presenting a needed result as something actively sought from another person.

Usage tips

  • In a workplace or classroom, this word often sounds firm and official because it sets a condition, so the surrounding tone shows whether the speaker is making a rule or seeking cooperation.

Other meanings

  • requireverb
  • requestnoun

Word lists with this word