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约

約
yuē
verb HSK 3 #1,037

Meanings

  1. 1 to make an appointment; to invite
  2. 2 approximately; about
  3. 3 pact; treaty
  4. 4 to economize; to restrict
  5. 5 to reduce (a fraction)
  6. 6 concise

Examples

我们约了明天见面。
Wǒmen yuē le míngtiān jiànmiàn.
We arranged to meet tomorrow.
大约有三十个人。
Dàyuē yǒu sānshí gè rén.
There are approximately thirty people.
中俄签了新条约。
Zhōng É qiān le xīn tiáoyuē.
China and Russia signed a new treaty.

Tips

usage
约 is everyday slang for asking someone out or making plans: 约吗？ = 'Wanna hang out?'. The compound 约炮 pushes it to 'hook up for sex', so context matters — 约饭 (grab a meal) and 约会 (date) sit between innocent and romantic.
register
Rare second reading 约 = 'to weigh on a balance', heard only in spoken phrases like 约一下 ('weigh it for me'). Bound and dialectal — no standard compounds use it; even 要约 (legal offer) gets its yāo from 要, not 约. For every other compound, read 约 as yuē.

Components

radical
纟 sī
silk thread (radical form)
Left silk radical — the indexing component. Anchors the original meaning: agreements in ancient China were sealed by tying knots in cord. The string-tying ritual gave 约 its core sense of 'binding promise'. From this came every modern use: arrangement, appointment, restraint, treaty (条约).
phonetic
勺 sháo
spoon; ladle (here phonetic)
Right 勺 supplies the sound (sháo → yuē, with significant Old Chinese drift). 勺 itself depicts a ladle scooping liquid — the curved hook with a dot inside represents the contents. Same phonetic family in 钓 (to fish) and 约. Pure sound role; the spoon imagery isn't carried over.

Stroke Order

约 yuē