喻 meaning and stroke order
Metaphor, analogy; example; such as, like
How to write 喻, stroke by stroke
12 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 喻
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to describe sth as
- an analogy
- a simile
- a metaphor
- an allegory
How 喻 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Mouth.
口 gives the meaning and 俞 hints at the sound.
Radical: 口 (mouth), shared by 428 characters on this site.
How to remember 喻
喻 (yù) puts a mouth 口 next to 俞 (yú), which gives the sound. Picture a mouth explaining something by saying it is like something else, which is what a metaphor does.
喻 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 比喻 (bǐyù, comparison, metaphor) and 隐喻 (yǐnyù, metaphor), and in idioms such as 家喻户晓 and 不言而喻. Example: 这个比喻很好懂。(Zhège bǐyù hěn hǎo dǒng.) This comparison is easy to understand.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 喻 with 愉 (yú, happy) and 输 (shū, to lose), which share the 俞 part. Remember that 喻 has the mouth 口 on the left and is said with the fourth tone, yù, not yú.
Common words with 喻
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
喻 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 喻
How many strokes are in 喻?
喻 is written with 12 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 喻 mean?
喻 (yù) means metaphor, analogy; example; such as, like. A common word with it is 比喻 (bǐyù), meaning "to compare; to liken to".
How do you pronounce 喻?
喻 is pronounced yù, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 喻?
The radical of 喻 is 口, which carries the idea of "mouth". Dictionaries list 喻 under this radical.
Is 喻 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 喻 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 比喻 and 隐喻?
比喻 (bǐyù) is the general word for any figurative comparison, including similes with 像 (xiàng, like). 隐喻 (yǐnyù) means a metaphor specifically, where the comparison is implied rather than stated.
How do I use 不可理喻 and 不言而喻?
不可理喻 (bùkělǐyù) describes a person you cannot reason with, as in 他简直不可理喻 (He is simply unreasonable). 不言而喻 (bùyán'éryù) means something is obvious and needs no explanation, as in 这个道理不言而喻 (This principle goes without saying).