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要

要 — need, main point, essence

Learn the correct stroke order for 要 (need), a 9-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 49 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 9
On'yomi (音読み)ヨウyou
Kun'yomi (訓読み)い.るiru、かなめkaname
Strokes9
Radical襾
Frequency#106
Meaningsneed, main point, essence, pivot, key to

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 9 — start from the green dot

Common Words

概要がいようoutline; summary; overviewnoun
肝要かんようextremely important; essential; vitalna-adjective
強要きょうようcoercion; extortion; compulsionnoun
主要しゅようchief; main; principalna-adjective
需要じゅようdemand; neednoun
重要じゅうようimportant; essential; significantna-adjective

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 要 (need) is taught in grade 4 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 9 strokes with radical 襾.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 要 is #106, making it one of the most commonly used kanji.

Example Words in Context

概要がいよう — outline; summary; overview
肝要かんよう — extremely important; essential; vital
強要きょうよう — coercion; extortion; compulsion

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (襾)

西west覆capsize覇hegemony

Same reading

容contain葉leaf様Esq.陽sunshine

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 要 have?

The kanji 要 (need) has 9 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 要?

要 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 要 mean?

要 means: need, main point, essence, pivot, key to. On'yomi readings: ヨウ. Kun'yomi readings: い.る, かなめ.

What JLPT level is 要?

要 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.