The character 需要 is formed by combining two separate pictophonetic characters, each contributing to its overall meaning. The top half, 需, is itself composed of 雨 (rain) above 而 (which here represents a beard or dew), originally depicting the idea of "waiting" (as one waits for rain) and by extension, "to require". This is placed above 要, which depicts a person (女) with hands on their waist (臼), conveying the core or essential part of the body and thus the idea of "essential" or "to want". Together, they create a compound where 需 emphasizes a necessary demand and 要 reinforces the notion of something vital, merging to express the concept of "to need" or "necessity".