HSK 3

需要 (xūyào) — how to say "to need" in Chinese

需要

To need

modal verb · noun

How to use it

Goes before another verb.

我需要休息。

wǒ xū yào xiū xi

I need to rest.

Character composition

需

to need

要

to want

Radicals / Keys

襾

Cover

#146 · yà · 6 strokes

雨

Rain

#173 · yǔ · 8 strokes

Synonyms

Collocations

需要帮助

xūyào bāngzhù

need help

需要休息

xūyào xiūxi

need rest

需要时间

xūyào shíjiān

need time

Examples

如果你需要帮助,随时告诉我。

If you need help, tell me anytime.

我需要帮助。

I need help.

Mnemonic

Mnemonic for 需要 (xūyào) — to need

[xūyào-] Sue Yao is stranded in a desert, where she 需要 desperately needs water 🌵. She fantasizes about a fountain that roars loudly but doesn’t give her the water she wants. Instead, she sees the sign 需 "NEED WATER" and a rock with 要 "WANT WATER," chuckling at the irony.

Writing

Frequently asked questions

How to say need in Chinese?

"to need" in Chinese is 需要 (xūyào).

需要 meaning in English

需要 (xūyào) means "To need".

How is 需要 pronounced?

It is pronounced xūyào (written as xuyao). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.

How do you write "to need" in Chinese characters?

It is written 需要: 需 has 14 strokes, 要 has 9 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.

What HSK level is 需要?

需要 belongs to the HSK 3 vocabulary list.

Tomyo

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Grammar with 需要

More HSK 3 words