需

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to require; to need; to want; necessity; need

Sound it out + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Ideographic compound (会意字)

Rain 雨 needed for crops to grow

Components 雨而

need · Heisig RSH #963

雨 rain + comb

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
需要是发明之母	xū yào shì fā míng zhī mǔ	Necessity is the mother of invention (European proverb).
不时之需	bù shí zhī xū	a possible period of want or need
化学需氧量	huà xué xū yǎng liàng	(environmental science) chemical oxygen demand; COD
生化需氧量	shēng huà xū yǎng liàng	(environmental science) biochemical oxygen demand; BOD
需求层次理论	xū qiú céng cì lǐ lùn	(Maslow's) hierarchy of needs (psychology)
基本需要	jī běn xū yào	basic necessity; fundamental need
社会总需求	shè huì zǒng xū qiú	aggregate social demand; total requirement of society
生活必需品	shēng huó bì xū pǐn	life's necessities
军需官	jūn xū guān	quartermaster
各取所需	gè qǔ suǒ xū	each takes what he needs (idiom)
解铃还需系铃人	jiě líng hái xū xì líng rén	variant of 解鈴還須繫鈴人\|解铃还须系铃人[jie3 ling2 hai2 xu1 xi4 ling2 ren2]
无需	wú xū	needless
总需求	zǒng xū qiú	aggregate demand
特需	tè xū	special need; particular requirement
外需	wài xū	external demand (demand for a country's goods and services from foreign markets)
按需分配	àn xū fēn pèi	distribution according to need
内需	nèi xū	domestic demand
必需品	bì xū pǐn	necessity; essential (thing)
军需	jūn xū	military supplies
非必需	fēi bì xū	inessential

These characters use 需 as their sound component — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
需 sound part	xū	to need, to require; must
儒	rú	Confucian scholar
糯	nuò	glutinous rice; sticky, viscous
濡	rú	to moisten, to immerse; wet, damp
蠕	rú	wasp; to wriggle, to squirm
孺	rú	child; blood relation; affection
嚅	rú	to mumble, to stutter
懦	nuò	weak, timid, cowardly
薷	rú	Elshotria paltrini
颥	rú	the temporal bone
襦	rú	coat, jacket; fine silk fabric