要求 (yāoqiú)

要求 covers both the act of demanding or requesting that something be done, and the standard or condition that must be met.

Meanings

[verb] To require, to demand, to request, to ask (that something be done).
[noun] A requirement, a demand, a standard, a condition.

Example Sentences

客户对产品质量提出了更高的要求，促使公司不断改进生产工艺。 Kèhù duì chǎnpǐn zhìliàng tíchū le gèng gāo de yāoqiú, cùshǐ gōngsī bùduàn gǎijìn shēngchǎn gōngyì. Customers put forward higher quality requirements, prompting the company to continuously improve its production processes.

学校要求所有学生在考试期间保持手机关闭状态。 Xuéxiào yāoqiú suǒyǒu xuésheng zài kǎoshì qījiān bǎochí shǒujī guānbì zhuàngtài. The school requires all students to keep their phones turned off during exams.

满足这些基本要求是申请入职的最低门槛，而不是优势条件。 Mǎnzú zhèxiē jīběn yāoqiú shì shēnqǐng rùzhí de zuìdī ménkǎn, ér bù shì yōushì tiáojiàn. Meeting these basic requirements is the minimum threshold for applying, not a competitive advantage.

在谈判中，任何一方都不应该提出不合理的要求，以免影响整体进程。 Zài tánpàn zhōng, rènhé yī fāng dōu bù yīnggāi tíchū bù hélǐ de yāoqiú, yǐmiǎn yǐngxiǎng zhěngtǐ jìnchéng. In negotiations, neither party should make unreasonable demands, so as not to affect the overall process.

Collocations

Collocation	Meaning
提出要求	to put forward a demand
满足要求	to meet requirements
基本要求	basic requirements
过高要求	excessive demands
按要求	according to requirements

Usage Notes

要求 as a verb is followed by a person and then the action requested: 要求他们提交报告 (require them to submit the report). As a noun it often pairs with 提出 (to raise), 满足 (to meet), or 达到 (to reach). Compare with 请求 (qǐngqiú — to request/appeal), which is more polite and less authoritative, while 要求 carries more force or obligation.

Memory Hook

要 means "to want/need" and 求 means "to seek/ask for" — wanting something and actively seeking it from someone is making a demand or requirement.