U+8981 "要" CJK Unified Ideograph-# Unicode Character
U+8981 "要" CJK Unified Ideograph-# is a fundamental Chinese character that carries the core meanings of "to want," "to need," "to demand," or "important," and it is widely used in both classical and modern East Asian languages, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. This character is composed of the radical 覀 (often derived from 西, meaning "west") atop the component 女 (for "woman"), and it functions as a versatile verb, noun, and grammatical marker. For example, in Mandarin Chinese it can appear in phrases like "我要水" meaning "I want water," or as a future tense indicator in sentences such as "要下雨了" meaning "it is going to rain." The character is classified under the Kangxi radical 146 (襾) and has a total of 9 strokes, reflecting its historical evolution from ancient oracle bone script through successive generations of Chinese writing. Its frequency and utility make it a key component of basic vocabulary for learners and a common element in compound words across various contexts.