# Is get-east-asian-width ESM-only? Can you require() it?

> get-east-asian-width@1.6.0 is ESM-only. ESM-only — it has never shipped a CommonJS build.

Determine the East Asian Width of a Unicode character

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against get-east-asian-width@1.6.0.

get-east-asian-width has been ESM-only since its first stable release; there is no CommonJS version to pin.

On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("get-east-asian-width") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26. On Node.js 18, which has no require(esm), require("get-east-asian-width") fails with ERR_REQUIRE_ESM.

## What to do

1. On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("get-east-asian-width") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26.
2. From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const getEastAsianWidth = await import("get-east-asian-width"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (>=18).
3. There is no CommonJS release of get-east-asian-width to pin; without require(esm) the only option is a dynamic import().
4. TypeScript: types are bundled; install nothing extra.

## Facts

- Latest: 1.6.0 (May 8, 2026)
- Module format: ESM-only
- Last CommonJS version: none
- ESM-only since: 1.0.0 (Oct 28, 2023)
- TypeScript types: bundled
- Node engines: >=18
- Weekly downloads: 69.3M
- License: MIT

## Runtime test results for get-east-asian-width@1.6.0

Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("get-east-asian-width") from a CommonJS file and import "get-east-asian-width" from an ES module.

| Runtime | require("get-east-asian-width") | import "get-east-asian-width" |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js 18 | fails (ERR_REQUIRE_ESM) | works |
| Node.js 20 | works | works |
| Node.js 22 | works | works |
| Node.js 24 | works | works |
| Node.js 26 | works | works |
| Bun 1.4.0 | works | works |

## How to import get-east-asian-width

ES modules:

```js
import * as getEastAsianWidth from "get-east-asian-width";
```

Namespace import shown because the ESM entry may have no default export; use named imports for what it exports.

CommonJS:

```js
// Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer (verified):
const getEastAsianWidth = require("get-east-asian-width");

// Any Node.js version the package supports (>=18), from an async function:
async function main() {
  const getEastAsianWidth = await import("get-east-asian-width");
}
```

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (8 versions; the newest 8 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 – 1.6.0 | ESM-only | Oct 28, 2023 |

## Frequently asked

**Is get-east-asian-width ESM-only?**

get-east-asian-width@1.6.0 is ESM-only. get-east-asian-width has been ESM-only since its first stable release; there is no CommonJS version to pin.

**Which version of get-east-asian-width still supports CommonJS / require()?**

None. get-east-asian-width has always been ESM-only. Use import, or a dynamic import("get-east-asian-width") from an async function in CommonJS.

**How do I use get-east-asian-width from a CommonJS file?**

From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const getEastAsianWidth = await import("get-east-asian-width"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (>=18). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("get-east-asian-width") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26.

**Does get-east-asian-width work in Bun?**

Yes. import "get-east-asian-width" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

**Does get-east-asian-width ship TypeScript types?**

Yes. get-east-asian-width bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.

## Links

- [get-east-asian-width on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/get-east-asian-width)
- [Source repository](https://github.com/sindresorhus/get-east-asian-width)
- [HTML version](https://canirequire.com/package/get-east-asian-width/)
- [JSON version](https://canirequire.com/package/get-east-asian-width.json)

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