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索要 (suǒ yāo) — to demand, to request (often formally or insistently)

Definition

索要 is a formal verb meaning 'to demand / insistently request' — stronger than 请 qǐng ('to ask politely') and often implies a right or pressure behind the request. Use it for legal, official, or confrontational contexts (赔偿, 资料, 钱财).

verb
to demandto request (often formally or insistently)

Examples

  • 索要。
    Tā xiàng gōng sī suǒ yāo le yì bǐ jù é péi cháng.
    He demanded a huge sum of compensation from the company.
  • 索要。
    Zhèng fǔ zhèng zài suǒ yāo gèng duō yǒu guān gāi xiàng mù dì zī liào.
    The government is requesting more information about the project.
  • 索要。
    Fàn zuì fèn zǐ suǒ yāo shòu hài zhě jiāo chū qián cái.
    The criminals demanded that the victims hand over their money.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

索suǒask for
要yàoask for

索 and 要 both mean ask for, so the word stresses a firm request.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 糸糸mìthread
  • 𣎳𣎳𣎳strip fibres off a hemp stalk

索 combines 糸 (thread) and 𣎳 (stripping fibres from a hemp stalk), showing threads or rope being pulled out from a fabric.

Open 索 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

要 began as a drawing of a person with both hands pointing to the waist.

Open 要 →
Appears in
Communication & Speech

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