Components

要 means 'need'

Animation / stroke order not available.
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Strokes : 9    Frequency: 153   JLPT: N3    Usefulness: 3    Study set: 3-3    Grade: 4   Intermediate lesson: 17    Beginner lesson: -   Begins 125 words   Used in 397 words   Used in 211 names   Component in 5 kanji (1 Jōyō)
Jōyō (常用)
On
   ヨウ
Kun
   to need   かなめ pivotal point
Name    とし
⿱   (西) west   woman; female  
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In the most useful 10,000 words in Japanese, 要 is used 25 times, read 3 ways.
Across all words in Japanese, 要 is used 391 times, read 3 ways.
Showing:
ヨウ : 377 words FIND ALL
0
1. necessary; needed; essential; indispensable  (必用 can imply has to be used rather than is just needed)
noun
2. necessity; need; requirement
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, examples and links)
かなめ : 5 words FIND ALL
0
noun
1. pivot
2. vital point; cornerstone; keystone
(click the word to view an additional 1 meaning, examples and links)
: 9 words FIND ALL
0
Most common form: いる
'ru' godan verb, intransitive verb
to need; to want  (often written with kana only)
(click the word for examples and links)
An additional 7 less common words include 要 but the reading has not yet been categorized.
Henshall: 623 (originally: 593)  Joy o' Kanji : 593  Key to Kanji: 1042 

Cascading kanji view

ヨウ   い to need   かなめ pivotal point   
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ジョ   ニョ   ニョウ   woman; female   おんな woman   め woman   
west
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