犹 meaning and stroke order
Similar to, just like, as
How to write 犹, stroke by stroke
7 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 犹
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- as if
- (just) like
- just as
- still
- yet
How 犹 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Dog.
犭 gives the meaning and 尤 hints at the sound.
Radical: 犭 (dog), shared by 88 characters on this site.
How to remember 犹
犹 is pictophonetic: the dog radical 犭 gives the meaning area and 尤 (yóu) gives the sound. Picture a dog pausing at a fork in the road, just like someone who hesitates, which links to 犹豫 (yóuyù).
犹 rarely appears alone in modern speech. It lives in words like 犹豫 (to hesitate), 犹如 (just like), and set phrases such as 记忆犹新 where it means "still." Example: 他毫不犹豫地答应了。(Tā háo bù yóuyù de dāying le.) He agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse the phonetic part 尤 with 龙 or 优, and write 犹 as 优 because both are read yóu. Remember that 优 (excellent) has the person radical 亻, while 犹 has the dog radical 犭.
Common words with 犹
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
犹 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 犹
How many strokes are in 犹?
犹 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 犹 mean?
犹 (yóu) means similar to, just like, as. A common word with it is 犹豫 (yóuyù), meaning "to hesitate".
How do you pronounce 犹?
犹 is pronounced yóu, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 犹?
The radical of 犹 is 犭, which carries the idea of "dog". Dictionaries list 犹 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 犹?
The traditional form of 犹 is 猶. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 犹 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 犹 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 犹 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 犹如 and 好像?
Both mean "like" or "as if," but 犹如 is formal and literary, common in writing and speeches. 好像 is the everyday spoken choice.
Why does 犹 mean "still" in 记忆犹新?
In classical Chinese 犹 could mean "still" or "yet," and that sense survives in fixed idioms. 记忆犹新 literally means "the memory is still fresh."