要
Mnemonic
A helicopter descends toward a woman stranded on a rooftop during a flood — her need for rescue is absolute. The woman screams, arms raised high. The helicopter hovers low; this is her only lifeline. She needs it more than anything in the world.
Additional thoughts
Classic disaster-movie image: lone woman on a rooftop, floodwaters rising, helicopter her only hope. That primal survival urgency cements the meaning of need.Quick recall
A helicopter is a woman's desperate need during a flood rescue.Details
The keyword for 要 is need. This kanji conveys the sense of something being essential, necessary, or required. It also carries the meaning of a main point or crux of a matter, as in the key element that one needs to grasp. Additionally, it can function as a verb meaning to demand or to require, emphasizing the importance or indispensability of something.
- On'yomi
- よう
- Kun'yomi
- い.る、かなめ