幼 meaning and stroke order
Infant, young child; immature
How to write 幼, stroke by stroke
5 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
Meaning of 幼
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- young
How 幼 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. One with little 幺 strength 力; 幺 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 幺 (one), shared by 6 characters on this site.
How to remember 幼
幼 puts 幺 (yāo, tiny) next to 力 (lì, strength): someone with only a tiny bit of strength is a young child. The 幺 on the left also hints at the sound yòu.
幼 rarely stands alone in speech. It appears in words about young people, young animals, and immaturity, such as 幼儿园 (yòu'éryuán, kindergarten) and 幼稚 (yòuzhì, childish). Example: 我女儿明年上幼儿园。(Wǒ nǚ'ér míngnián shàng yòu'éryuán.) My daughter starts kindergarten next year.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 幼 with 幻 (huàn, illusion), which also has 幺 on the left but lacks the 力. Also remember the fourth tone: yòu, not yōu like 优 or 幽.
Common words with 幼
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
幼 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 幼
Learning 幼 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 幼
How many strokes are in 幼?
幼 is written with 5 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 幼 mean?
幼 (yòu) means infant, young child; immature. A common word with it is 幼儿园 (yòu'éryuán), meaning "kindergarten; nursery school".
How do you pronounce 幼?
幼 is pronounced yòu, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 幼?
The radical of 幼 is 幺, which carries the idea of "one". Dictionaries list 幼 under this radical.
Is 幼 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 幼 is part of the HSK 4 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 幼稚 a compliment or an insult?
When describing adults or their ideas, 幼稚 (yòuzhì) usually means childish or naive and sounds critical. For example, 你太幼稚了 means "You are so immature."
What is the difference between 幼儿园 and 幼稚园?
Both mean kindergarten. 幼儿园 is standard in mainland China, while 幼稚园 is common in Taiwan and Hong Kong.