主要
main; primary; chief
HSK level
- Pinyin
- zhǔyào
- Part of speech
- adjective
- Level
- HSK 3
- Strokes
- 14
- Register
- neutral
- In episodes
- 1
Stroke order for 主要
主要 is written with 14 strokes (主: 5, 要: 9). The animation replays automatically.
What does 主要 mean?
主要 (zhǔyào) is an adjective and adverb meaning 'main,' 'primary,' or 'principal.'
As an adjective, it modifies a noun to single out the chief one among several: 主要原因 ('main reason'), 主要问题 ('main problem'), 主要工作 ('primary job'). As an adverb, it means 'mainly' or 'primarily': 我主要学中文 ('I mainly study Chinese'). Two things differ from English 'main.'
First, 主要 is not used predicatively like 重要 — you don't say 这个问题很主要; instead, you'd say 这是主要问题 or use 重要 ('this problem is important'). 主要 always attaches to a noun or precedes a verb. Second, 主要 distinguishes the principal item from secondary ones, while 重要 (zhòngyào) measures weight or significance — a 主要 reason is the chief one of several; an 重要 reason is one that matters.
Character by character
Memory hook: 主 (master/main) + 要 (essential) — the master-essential thing. The one that runs the show.
Hear 主要 in real episodes
主要 appears in 1 Fluentide podcast episode at natural native speed — each with the full Chinese script, pinyin, and line-by-line English translation.
Browse the full episode libraryExample sentences
这是我的主要工作。
Zhè shì wǒ de zhǔyào gōngzuò.
This is my main job.
neutral
他的主要爱好是看书。
Tā de zhǔyào àihào shì kàn shū.
His main hobby is reading.
neutral
我主要学习中文。
Wǒ zhǔyào xuéxí Zhōngwén.
I mainly study Chinese.
spoken
中国的主要城市有北京和上海。
Zhōngguó de zhǔyào chéngshì yǒu Běijīng hé Shànghǎi.
China's major cities include Beijing and Shanghai.
written
这本书的主要内容是什么？
Zhè běn shū de zhǔyào nèiróng shì shénme?
What is the main content of this book?
neutral
Common phrases with 主要
Synonyms
重要 means 'important' (carrying weight). 主要 means 'main/primary' (chief among several). A 主要 cause is the principal one; an 重要 cause is one that matters. Many causes can be 重要; usually only one is 主要.
首要 means 'primary/foremost' and is more formal and emphatic — used for top priorities. 主要 is the everyday word; 首要 appears in formal/written contexts (首要任务 'top priority task').
Don't confuse 主要 with
FAQ
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