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How to say 'Essence' in Japanese | 要

Wondering how to say 'Essence' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Essence is 'You', written as 要 in Japanese.'Essence' in hiragana is よう.

    word

    Meaning

    Essence

    Reading

    よう

    you

    Kanji

    Important, Need

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '要 (よう)' means 'essence' or 'main point'. It is used to refer to the core or most important part of something. This word is often used in formal or written contexts to summarize or highlight the key aspects of a topic. For example: The essence of the problem is clear「問題の要は明らかだ」(もんだいのようはあきらかだ). The main point of the discussion is this「議論の要はこれだ」(ぎろんのようはこれだ). Additionally, '要' can also appear in compound words like '要点 (ようてん)', meaning 'main point' or 'gist'.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    N3

    Kanji Grade

    4

    Frequency

    3144

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Important, Need

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 19 Words contain the Kanji 要 as well.

  • word

    重要

    Meaning

    Important

  • word

    必要

    Meaning

    Necessary

  • word

    要求

    Meaning

    Demand

  • word

    要する

    Meaning

    Require, Summarize

  • word

    要素

    Meaning

    Element, Factor

  • word

    要る

    Meaning

    Need

  • word

    要因

    Meaning

    Factor

  • word

    需要

    Meaning

    Demand

  • word

    要件

    Meaning

    Requirement

  • word

    主要

    Meaning

    Main, Principal

  • word

    不要

    Meaning

    Unnecessary

  • word

    要領

    Meaning

    Essentials

  • word

    要するに

    Meaning

    In short

  • word

    不必要

    Meaning

    Unnecessary

  • word

    要点

    Meaning

    Main point

  • word

    要請

    Meaning

    Request

  • word

    要項

    Meaning

    Outline, Essentials

  • word

    概要

    Meaning

    Summary

  • word

    要望

    Meaning

    Request

Learn the Word

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What does 'You' (要) mean?

'You' means 'Essence' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.