yuēyāo

agreement

Original meaning: 

bind

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound. Based on the original meaning "bind". The meaning later shifted to "agreement", "restrain", "keep under control", "appointment", and "approximately".

Components
糹 meaning component

  Meaning component

  

silk

is a component form of .

勺 sound component

  Sound component

sháo

  

spoon

Evolution

約 Seal script Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal script

Shuowen (~100 AD)
約 Clerical script Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Clerical script

Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
約 Regular script Modern

Regular script

Modern
Definitions

() 

yuē

treaty, agreement, covenant; to make an appointment; to invite; approximately; pact; treaty; to economize; to restrict; to reduce (a fraction); concise

() 

yāo

to weigh in a balance or on a scale

Most common words with 約
Freq.
Word
Meaning

pact

约会

appointment

纽约

New York

大约

probably

约翰

John (name)

Component uses

Sound component in 2 characters (1 verified)