於 meaning and stroke order
At, in, on; to, from; alas!
How to write 於, stroke by stroke
8 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
Meaning of 於
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- (literary) Oh!
- Ah!
How 於 is built
Components of the character.
Radical: 方 (square), shared by 17 characters on this site.
How to remember 於
於 has 方 (fāng, direction or place) on the left, so think of it as pointing to a place: something happens "at" or "in" a direction. The right side is unclear in the data, so focus on 方 as your anchor for "location" words like at, in, and from.
於 is the traditional form of the preposition 于 (yú), used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and formal or classical writing to mean at, in, to, or from. In mainland simplified text you will see 于 in words like 由于 (yóuyú) and 关于 (guānyú), but in traditional text they appear as 由於 and 關於. Example: 他生於台北。(Tā shēng yú Táiběi.) He was born in Taipei.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 於 with 放 (fàng, to put), since both have 方 on the left. 放 has the 攵 component on the right, while 於 does not.
Common words with 於
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 等於 | děngyú | to equal; to be tantamount to | HSK 2 |
| 終於 | zhōngyú | at last; in the end | HSK 3 |
| 屬於 | shǔyú | to belong to; to fall under (a category) | HSK 3 |
| 由於 | yóuyú | due to; as a result of | HSK 3 |
| 關於 | guānyú | pertaining to; concerning | HSK 4 |
| 對於 | duìyú | regarding; as far as (sth) is concerned; with regard to | HSK 4 |
| 於是 | yúshì | thereupon; as a result; consequently; thus; hence | HSK 4 |
| 處於 | chǔyú | to be in (some state, position, or condition) | HSK 4 |
| 在於 | zàiyú | to rest with; to lie in; to be due to (a certain attribute); (of a matter) to be determine | HSK 4 |
| 位於 | wèiyú | to be located at; to be situated at | HSK 4 |
| 善於 | shànyú | to be good at; to be adept at | HSK 4 |
| 用於 | yòngyú | to use in; to use on; to use for | HSK 5 |
| 出於 | chūyú | due to; to stem from | HSK 5 |
| 過於 | guòyú | excessively; too | HSK 5 |
Characters that contain 於
Learning 於 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 於
How many strokes are in 於?
於 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 於 mean?
於 (yú) means at, in, on; to, from; alas!. A common word with it is 等于 (děngyú), meaning "to equal; to be tantamount to".
How do you pronounce 於?
於 is pronounced yú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 於?
The radical of 於 is 方, which carries the idea of "square". Dictionaries list 於 under this radical.
What is the simplified form of 於?
於 is a traditional character. Its simplified form is 于, used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 於 the same as 于?
In most modern uses, yes. 於 is the traditional form, and simplified Chinese writes it as 于, so 終於 and 终于 (zhōngyú, at last) are the same word.
When is 於 read wū instead of yú?
The reading wū is literary and means an exclamation like "Oh" or "Ah." You mostly meet it in classical texts. In everyday reading, 於 is pronounced yú.