约 (yuē) is a Chinese character meaning “approximately”. It is written from 纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 勺 (spoon; ladle), side by side, and takes 6 strokes.
Build the character for “approximately; to make an appointment”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
纟 + 勺
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字: 約，纏束也。从糸勺聲
Memory aid
A silk cord (纟) tied around a ladle (勺): you bind the scoop so everyone gets about the same amount. Both parts are really in this character — an agreed measure, roughly this much.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
6 strokes
In real words
- 大约dà yuēapproximately; about约 = yuē
- 约会yuē huìappointment; date约 = yuē
- 纽约niǔ yuēNew York约 = yuē
- 契约qì yuēcontract; covenant约 = yuē
- 赴约fù yuēto keep an appointment; to go to a date约 = yuē
Go deeper
All readings
approximately; to arrange
approximately; about; to make an appointment; agreement; to restrain
大概、大略；也指约定、邀请，以及加以约束。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 大约dà yuēapproximately; about约 = yuē
- 约会yuē huìappointment; date约 = yuē
- 纽约niǔ yuēNew York约 = yuē
- 契约qì yuēcontract; covenant约 = yuē
- 赴约fù yuēto keep an appointment; to go to a date约 = yuē
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 约 mean?
约 (yuē) means approximately; about; to make an appointment; agreement; to restrain.
How do you pronounce 约?
It is pronounced yuē.
What parts is 约 made of?
纟 (silk; thread (left-side form)) and 勺 (spoon; ladle), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 約，纏束也。从糸勺聲. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 约 have?
6. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 约?
纟. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 约?
Common ones are 大约 and 约会. The reading of 约 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.