幽 meaning and stroke order
Quiet, secluded, tranquil; dark
How to write 幽, stroke by stroke
9 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
- 7
- 8
- 9
Meaning of 幽
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- remote
- hidden away
- secluded
- serene
- peaceful
- to imprison
How 幽 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. Small niches 幺 in the mountainside 山; 幺 also provides the pronunciation.
Radical: 幺 (one), shared by 6 characters on this site.
How to remember 幽
Picture two tiny niches 幺 tucked inside a mountain 山. Hidden deep in the mountain, these spots are dark, quiet and secluded, which is what 幽 (yōu) means.
幽 rarely stands alone in modern speech. It appears in literary descriptions of quiet places, like 幽静 (yōujìng, secluded and peaceful), and most often in the loanword 幽默 (yōumò, humor). Example: 他很幽默。(Tā hěn yōumò.) He is very funny.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 幽 with 函 or 凶 because of the enclosing shape, but in 幽 the two 幺 sit inside 山, whose middle stroke rises between them. Also remember the tone is first tone yōu, not the fourth tone of 又 (yòu).
Common words with 幽
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
幽 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 幽
How many strokes are in 幽?
幽 is written with 9 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 幽 mean?
幽 (yōu) means quiet, secluded, tranquil; dark. A common word with it is 幽默 (yōumò), meaning "(loanword) humor; humorous".
How do you pronounce 幽?
幽 is pronounced yōu, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 幽?
The radical of 幽 is 幺, which carries the idea of "one". Dictionaries list 幽 under this radical.
Is 幽 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 幽 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Why does 幽默 mean humor if 幽 means dark or quiet?
幽默 (yōumò) was chosen to transliterate the English word "humor" because of its sound. The meanings of the individual characters are not the source of the word's meaning.
What is the difference between 幽灵 and 鬼?
鬼 (guǐ) is the everyday word for a ghost. 幽灵 (yōulíng) sounds more formal or literary, like "specter" or "phantom," and is common in book and film titles.