要是
HSK 4 (exam 2025)HSK 3 (2021)Old HSK 4
要是 (yàoshi) · if
要是 (yàoshi) means “if”. It is written with 2 characters: 要 (to want) + 是 (to be). It is an HSK 4 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
How 要是 is built
The characters
要 yào · to want
What 要 is made of
- 覀xī — west
- 女nǚ — woman
Origin hint: A woman 女 with hands on her waist 覀 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
是 shì · to be
What 是 is made of
- 日rì — sun; day
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 冂 — frame
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 一 — horizontal stroke
- 口kǒu — mouth
- 疋pǐ — foot shape
Origin hint: To speak 日 directly 疋 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
Example sentences
要是下雨，我们就不去了。Yàoshi xiàyǔ, wǒmen jiù bù qù le.If it rains, we won't go.
要是你有时间，来我家吧。Yàoshi nǐ yǒu shíjiān, lái wǒ jiā ba.If you have time, come to my place.
Questions about 要是
What does 要是 mean?
要是 (yàoshi) means “if”.
How do you pronounce 要是?
要是 is pronounced yàoshi.
Which HSK level is 要是?
要是 is in HSK 4 (exam 2025) and HSK 3 (2021) and Old HSK 4.
Related words
- 重要zhòngyàoimportant
- 不要bùyàodon't
- 就要jiùyàoto be about to
- 快要kuàiyàoto be about to
- 要求yāoqiúto ask
- 只要zhǐyàoas long as
- 主要zhǔyàomain
- 必要bìyàonecessary
- 需要xūyàoto need
- 不要紧bùyàojǐnit doesn't matter
Learn 要是 with its group
It is part of HSK 3 (2021) · Group 49: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.