Question 1

What does 主要 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 2

How do you pronounce 主要?

Accepted Answer

主要 is pronounced zhǔyào — 主 (zhǔ), 要 (yào).

Question 3

Is 主要 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

主要 is a adjective, register: neutral.

Question 4

What's the difference between 主要 and 重要?

Accepted Answer

重要 = important (significant, weighty). 主要 = main (the chief one). 重要 can be predicative (这很重要); 主要 cannot (don't say 这很主要). They overlap but emphasize differently.

Question 5

What's the difference between 主要 and 重要?

Accepted Answer

Use 主要 when distinguishing the principal item from secondary ones. Use 重要 when describing how much something matters. The 主要 reason is one specific reason; an 重要 reason matters a lot.

主要

What does 主要 mean?

Character breakdown

Example sentences

Common phrases with 主要

Synonyms

Don't confuse 主要 with

FAQ

Hear 主要 in real Chinese, not in a flashcard.