于 meaning and stroke order
To go; to take; sentence-final interrogative particle
How to write 于, stroke by stroke
3 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
Meaning of 于
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to go
- to take
- sentence-final interrogative particle
- variant of 於|于[yu2]
- (of time or place) in; at; on
- (indicating any indirect relation) to; toward; vis-à-vis; with regard to; for
How 于 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 二 (two), shared by 14 characters on this site.
How to remember 于
于 is built from 二 (two horizontal lines) with a hook 亅 running down through them. Picture two shelves with a hook hanging through them, pointing to where something is: at, in, on.
于 rarely stands alone in speech. It mostly appears in set words like 终于 (zhōngyú), 关于 (guānyú), 由于 (yóuyú) and 属于 (shǔyú), and in formal writing to mark time or place. Example: 我终于明白了。 (Wǒ zhōngyú míngbai le.) I finally understand.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 于 with 干 (gàn). 干 has a straight vertical stroke, while 于 ends in a hook 亅 at the bottom. Also, 关于 and 对于 are not always interchangeable: 关于 introduces a topic ("about"), while 对于 marks the target of an attitude ("toward, regarding").
Common words with 于
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 等于 | děngyú | to equal; to be tantamount to | HSK 2 |
| 终于 | zhōngyú | at last; in the end | HSK 3 |
| 属于 | shǔyú | to belong to; to fall under (a category) | HSK 3 |
| 由于 | yóuyú | due to; as a result of | HSK 3 |
| 关于 | guānyú | pertaining to; concerning | HSK 4 |
| 对于 | duìyú | regarding; as far as (sth) is concerned; with regard to | HSK 4 |
| 于是 | yúshì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence | HSK 4 |
| 处于 | chǔyú | to be in (some state, position, or condition) | HSK 4 |
| 在于 | zàiyú | to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (of a matter) to be determine | HSK 4 |
| 位于 | wèiyú | to be located at; to be situated at | HSK 4 |
| 善于 | shànyú | to be good at; to be adept at | HSK 4 |
| 用于 | yòngyú | to use in; to use on; to use for | HSK 5 |
| 出于 | chūyú | due to; to stem from | HSK 5 |
| 过于 | guòyú | excessively; too | HSK 5 |
于 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 于
Learning 于 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 于
How many strokes are in 于?
于 is written with 3 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 于 mean?
于 (yú) means to go; to take; sentence-final interrogative particle. A common word with it is 等于 (děngyú), meaning "to equal; to be tantamount to".
How do you pronounce 于?
于 is pronounced yú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 于?
The radical of 于 is 二, which carries the idea of "two". Dictionaries list 于 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 于?
The traditional form of 于 is 於. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 于 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 于 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 于 is part of the HSK 2 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 2.
What is the difference between 于是 and 所以?
于是 (yúshì) means "and then, thereupon" and describes one event naturally following another. 所以 (suǒyǐ) stresses cause and result, often paired with 因为. In many stories 于是 sounds more natural for sequence.
Is 于 a common surname?
Yes, 于 (Yú) is a fairly common Chinese surname. As a surname it is always written 于, even in traditional characters, and is not replaced by 於.