Meaning of 约
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to make an appointment
- to invite
- approximately
- pact
- treaty
- to economize
- to restrict
- to reduce (a fraction)
- to weigh in a balance or on a scale
How to use 约
约 is most often a verb meaning to arrange to meet or to invite someone, and it also appears before numbers to mean about. 我约了朋友明天吃饭。(Wǒ yuē le péngyou míngtiān chīfàn.) I made plans with a friend to eat tomorrow.
约 has the silk radical 纟 on the left and 勺 (sháo, ladle) on the right. Picture tying a silk thread around something to bind it, like binding two people to an agreement or appointment.
Common mistake: Learners often write the right side as 勺 with the dot missing, or confuse 约 with 的 (de), which shares the same 勺 part but has 白 on the left. Also remember 约 is first tone yuē, not fourth tone like 月 (yuè).
约 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
约 yuē · to make an appointment · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
Related words
Words that share a character with 约.
| 大约 | dàyuē | approximately; probably |
| 节约 | jiéyuē | to economize; to conserve (resources) |
| 约会 | yuēhuì | appointment; engagement |
| 签约 | qiānyuē | to sign a contract or agreement |
| 约束 | yuēshù | to restrict; to limit to |
| 制约 | zhìyuē | to restrict; condition |
| 约定 | yuēdìng | to agree on sth (after discussion); to conclude a bargain |
| 预约 | yùyuē | booking; reservation |
| 合约 | héyuē | contract; agreement |
| 契约 | qìyuē | agreement; contract |
| 条约 | tiáoyuē | treaty; pact |
| 隐约 | yǐnyuē | vague; faint; indistinct |
Questions about 约
What does 约 mean?
约 (yuē) means "to make an appointment; to invite" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 约?
约 is made of 1 character: 约 (6 strokes). That is 6 strokes in total.
Is 约 an HSK word?
Yes. 约 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 约 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 约 is written 約.
What is the difference between 约 and 大约 for approximately?
Both can mean about before a number, but 约 alone sounds more formal or written, as in 约十人 (yuē shí rén). In everyday speech people usually say 大约 (dàyuē) or 大概 (dàgài).
Does 约会 always mean a romantic date?
约会 (yuēhuì) can mean any appointment, but in modern casual speech it very often implies a romantic date. For a business or doctor appointment, people often say 预约 (yùyuē) instead.