Meaning of 优势
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- superiority
- dominance
- advantage
How to use 优势
优势 is a noun for an advantage or a stronger position compared with others. It often follows verbs like 有 (yǒu), 占 (zhàn), or 发挥 (fāhuī). Example: 他的优势是英语很好。(Tā de yōushì shì Yīngyǔ hěn hǎo.) His advantage is that his English is very good.
优 (yōu) means excellent, as in 优秀 (yōuxiù), and 势 (shì) means force or position, as in 形势 (xíngshì). An excellent position gives you an advantage.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 优势 and 优点 (yōudiǎn). 优点 is a good quality a person or thing has in itself, while 优势 is an advantage relative to others or a situation. Also remember that 势 is fourth tone (shì), not third.
优势 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
优 yōu · excellent · 6 strokes
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势 shì · power · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 优势.
| 优点 | yōudiǎn | merit; benefit |
| 优秀 | yōuxiù | outstanding; excellent |
| 形势 | xíngshì | circumstances; situation |
| 优美 | yōuměi | graceful; fine |
| 趋势 | qūshì | trend; tendency |
| 优良 | yōuliáng | fine; good |
| 势力 | shìlì | power; influence |
| 优先 | yōuxiān | to have priority; to take precedence |
| 优惠 | yōuhuì | privilege; favorable (terms) |
| 强势 | qiángshì | strong; powerful |
| 优质 | yōuzhì | excellent quality |
| 姿势 | zīshì | posture; position |
Questions about 优势
What does 优势 mean?
优势 (yōushì) means "superiority; dominance" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 优势?
优势 is made of 2 characters: 优 (6 strokes), 势 (8 strokes). That is 14 strokes in total.
Is 优势 an HSK word?
Yes. 优势 is on the HSK 3 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 优势 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 优势 is written 優勢.
What is the opposite of 优势?
The usual opposite is 劣势 (lièshì), meaning disadvantage or weaker position. You often see them together, as in 优势和劣势, strengths and weaknesses.
How do you say someone has the upper hand in Chinese?
You can say 占优势 (zhàn yōushì), literally to occupy the advantage. For example, 主队占优势 (zhǔduì zhàn yōushì) means the home team has the upper hand.