约 (yāo) - Meaning, Stroke Order, Words & Examples

Q: What does 约 (yāo) mean in Chinese?

The Chinese character 约 (yāo) means "Appointment / About". It is an HSK Level 3 character, with 6 strokes and the radical 纟.

Q: How do you write 约 stroke by stroke?

约 has 6 strokes. The radical is 纟. Follow the standard stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. Practice with stroke animation to build muscle memory.

Q: What's the difference between 约 and 纠?

约 (yāo) and 纠 look similar but differ in meaning and usage. Check the radical and stroke count to tell them apart.

Q: What mistakes do learners make writing 约?

Common mistake: incorrect stroke order or miswriting the radical 纟. Pay attention to the proportion between components — keep the radical compact.

Q: What common words use 约?

Common words containing 约 include: 约会 (yuē huì) — Date / Appointment; 节约 (jié yuē) — To conserve / To save; 大约 (dà yuē) — Approximately.

How to Write 约

The character 约 (yāo) is written with 6 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 纟 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

Meaning & Pronunciation

约 is pronounced yāo in Mandarin Chinese. It means Appointment / About.

This is a polyphonic character with readings: yāo, yuē.

As an HSK Level 3 character, 约 is an intermediate-level character.

Common Words with 约

约会 yuē huì

Date / Appointment

节约 jié yuē

To conserve / To save

大约 dà yuē

Approximately

约一下 yāo yī xià

To make an appointment or to estimate.

Example Sentences

我们明天有个约会。

wǒ men míng tiān yǒu gè yuē huì

We have an appointment tomorrow.

请大家节约用水。

qǐng dà jiā jié yuē yòng shuǐ

Everyone, please save water.

他大约五点钟到。

tā dà yuē wǔ diǎn zhōng dào

He will arrive at about five o'clock.

请帮我约一下这个西瓜有几斤。

qǐng bāng wǒ yāo yī xià zhè ge xī guā yǒu jǐ jīn

Please help me estimate how heavy this watermelon is.

Similar Characters

纠 jiū

纡 yū

红 hóng

Practice Writing 约 (yāo)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 约 with real-time feedback.

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Frequently Asked Questions about 约

What does 约 (yāo) mean in Chinese?

How do you write 约 stroke by stroke?

What's the difference between 约 and 纠?

What mistakes do learners make writing 约?

What common words use 约?

How to Write 约 (yāo)