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約

简约 · 繁約

Mandarin · pinyin yāo#

to weigh in a balance or on a scale

Mandarin · pinyin yuē#

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Characters in this entry

約: yuē · treaty, agreement, covenant
约: yuē · treaty, agreement, covenant

Written characters and their own readings; the entry’s pronunciation is shown above.

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Mandarin tones

1 · yao1

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2character links19same-tone records

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Read this spelling in Classical texts

Follow a written form into the eight pinned witnesses: Analects, Mencius, Laozi, Zhuangzi, Xunzi, Han Feizi, Sunzi and the Mao Shijing. A match is a place to investigate; it does not prove that a modern dictionary sense fits the passage.

約 · find source passages ↗ · 约 · find source passages ↗

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Rime Cantonese 粵拼

joek3 · wok6

Cantonese word readings for 約. This lexicon supplies readings, not definitions.

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Wiktionary English definitions · Chinese section

Independent source senses for this spelling, with usage labels retained. Not matched to the pronunciation above.

character · Etymology 1

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to bundle up; to bind
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) rope; cord
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to restrain; to limit; to keep under control
to make an appointment; to arrange
appointment; meeting; arrangement
treaty; agreement; covenant; pact; contract
to invite or ask in advance
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to hinder; to block
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to save; to economise
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) frugal; economical; thrifty
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) brief; concise; succinct
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) poor; humble; low-ranking
(mathematics) to reduce (a fraction)
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to prepare; to equip
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to seek; to pursue
(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to estimate; to approximate; to reckon
(colloquial) to weigh (on a balance or scale)
about; approximately
(Hong Kong, historical) district (of the City of Victoria)
(Hong Kong, historical) pact, group of villages

character · Etymology 2

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 要 (yào, “gist; essentials”)

character · Etymology 3

(obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) cord for the string of a stringed instrument

character · Etymology 4

(Hokkien) alternative form of 臆 (“to guess”)

Source page · dump 2026-09-02 · Contributors & history

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