要 yào
- Strokes
- 9
- Radical
- 覀 — west, western, westward
- Made of
- 覀 west, western, westward 女 woman, girl
- How it's built
- Ideograph — the meaning is built from its parts
要害
yàohài
vital point; crux
Characters in this word
害 hài
- Strokes
- 10
- Radical
- 宀 — roof
Example phrases
- 这篇评论没有纠缠细节，而是一针见血地指出了问题的要害。 Zhè piān pínglùn méiyǒu jiūchán xìjié, ér shì yì zhēn jiàn xiě de zhǐchū le wèntí de yàohài. This commentary did not get bogged down in details; it hit the nail on the head and pointed out the crux of the problem.
- 他的问题问到了要害，会议立刻安静下来。 Tā de wèntí wèn dào le yàohài, huìyì lìkè ānjìng xiàlái. His question hit the crux of the matter, and the meeting immediately fell silent.
- 水资源短缺是这个地区发展的要害。 Shuǐzīyuán duǎnquē shì zhège dìqū fāzhǎn de yàohài. Water shortage is the weak point of this region's development.