优 meaning and stroke order
Excellent; superior
How to write 优, stroke by stroke
6 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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Meaning of 优
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- excellent
- superior
How 优 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Person.
亻 gives the meaning and 尤 hints at the sound.
Radical: 亻 (man), shared by 277 characters on this site.
How to remember 优
优 (yōu) is a person 亻 next to 尤 (yóu), which gives the sound. Picture a person who stands out especially (尤其 yóuqí) from the crowd, and you get someone excellent or superior.
优 rarely stands alone in modern Chinese. It mostly appears in compound words like 优秀 (yōuxiù, outstanding), 优点 (yōudiǎn, strong point) and 优惠 (yōuhuì, discount or special offer). Example: 她是一个优秀的学生。(Tā shì yí gè yōuxiù de xuésheng.) She is an excellent student.
Common mistake: Learners often write 忧 (yōu, worry) instead of 优 because they sound identical and both use 尤. Remember that 忧 has the heart radical 忄 for a feeling, while 优 has the person radical 亻 for a quality of a person.
Common words with 优
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 优势 | yōushì | superiority; dominance | HSK 3 |
| 优点 | yōudiǎn | merit; benefit | HSK 3 |
| 优秀 | yōuxiù | outstanding; excellent | HSK 4 |
| 优美 | yōuměi | graceful; fine | HSK 4 |
| 优良 | yōuliáng | fine; good | HSK 4 |
| 优先 | yōuxiān | to have priority; to take precedence | HSK 5 |
| 优惠 | yōuhuì | privilege; favorable (terms) | HSK 5 |
| 优质 | yōuzhì | excellent quality | HSK 6 |
| 优雅 | yōuyǎ | grace; graceful | HSK 7-9 |
| 优异 | yōuyì | exceptional; outstandingly good | HSK 7-9 |
| 优越 | yōuyuè | superior; superiority | HSK 7-9 |
| 优化 | yōuhuà | to optimize; (corporate euphemism) to lay off staff | HSK 7-9 |
| 优惠券 | yōuhuìquàn | coupon | |
| 女士优先 | nǚshìyōuxiān | Ladies first! |
优 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 优
How many strokes are in 优?
优 is written with 6 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 优 mean?
优 (yōu) means excellent; superior. A common word with it is 优势 (yōushì), meaning "superiority; dominance".
How do you pronounce 优?
优 is pronounced yōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 优?
The radical of 优 is 亻, which carries the idea of "man". Dictionaries list 优 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 优?
The traditional form of 优 is 優. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 优 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 优 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 优 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 优秀 and 优良?
优秀 (yōuxiù) usually describes people or their work as outstanding, as in 优秀的员工 (an outstanding employee). 优良 (yōuliáng) more often describes quality, tradition or breeds, as in 优良品种 (a fine variety).
How is 优惠 used when shopping?
优惠 (yōuhuì) means a discount or favorable deal. You will see it on signs and apps, for example 有优惠吗？(Yǒu yōuhuì ma?) Is there a discount? A coupon is called 优惠券 (yōuhuìquàn).