要求 (yāo qiú)

to request; to require; requirement; to stake a claim; to ask; to dema

Character breakdown

要 (yāo) · 9 strokes

Pictograph of two hands grabbing a woman's (女) waist. The current meaning "want" is a phonetic loan. The original meaning "waist" is now written as 腰.
求 (qiú) · 7 strokes

Pictograph of a crawling insect. The current meaning "seek" or "beg" is a phonetic loan.