腰

yāo
HSK 5
#1,456 most
frequent character
waist, lower back, pocket, middle
noun

Character breakdown

Source: Make Me a Hanzi.

腰 has 月 body-meat as its meaning part, and 要 yāo also means waist and adds sound. It first meant the waist. The meaning grew to mid section and lower back.

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Example Sentences

我的腰很疼。
wǒde yāo hěn téng 。
My waist hurts a lot.
这条裤子的腰太大了。
zhè tiáo kùzǐ de yāo tàidà le 。
The waist of these pants is too big.
他在锻炼的时候总是注意保护自己的腰。
tāzài duànliàn de shíhòu zǒngshì zhùyì bǎohù zìjǐ de yāo 。
He always pays attention to protecting his waist while exercising.

Words with similar meanings

中部zhōngbù
middle
A more general term referring to the central part of something, not specifically the waist.

Homophones

妖yāo
goblin, witch, devil, bewitching
要yāo
(bound form) to demand, to coerce
邀yāo
to invite, to request, to intercept
约yāo
to weigh in a balance or on a scale

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Public Lists with 腰

HSK 5
All words for the HSK 5 test
Body Parts
Head, arms, legs, internal organs, and basic anatomy.
Illness & Hospital
Basic medical terminology, symptoms, doctor visits, medications.
Health & Fitness
Working out, exercise routines, gym vocabulary, healthy lifestyle.