Meaning of 优秀
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- outstanding; excellent
How to use 优秀
优秀 describes people, work, or results that stand out, and it is common in school, work, and formal praise. It often appears before a noun with 的 or after 很. Example: 她是一个很优秀的学生。(Tā shì yí gè hěn yōuxiù de xuésheng.) She is an outstanding student.
优 (yōu) has the person radical 亻, so think of a person who is superior. 秀 (xiù) starts with 禾, the grain plant, so picture a person whose crops grow tall and fine: that person is 优秀, excellent.
Common mistake: Learners often write 秀 with 木 on top instead of 禾. 禾 has an extra slanted stroke at the top. Also, 优秀 is strong praise for performance or ability, so do not use it for food or weather where you mean 好 (hǎo) or 好吃 (hǎochī).
优秀 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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秀 xiù · elegant · 7 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 优秀.
| 优势 | yōushì | superiority; dominance |
| 优点 | yōudiǎn | merit; benefit |
| 优美 | yōuměi | graceful; fine |
| 优良 | yōuliáng | fine; good |
| 优先 | yōuxiān | to have priority; to take precedence |
| 优惠 | yōuhuì | privilege; favorable (terms) |
| 优质 | yōuzhì | excellent quality |
| 优雅 | yōuyǎ | grace; graceful |
| 优异 | yōuyì | exceptional; outstandingly good |
| 优越 | yōuyuè | superior; superiority |
| 秀美 | xiùměi | elegant; graceful |
| 优化 | yōuhuà | to optimize; (corporate euphemism) to lay off staff |
Questions about 优秀
What does 优秀 mean?
优秀 (yōuxiù) means "outstanding; excellent" and is used as a adjective.
How do you write 优秀?
优秀 is made of 2 characters: 优 (6 strokes), 秀 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 优秀 an HSK word?
Yes. 优秀 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 优秀 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 优秀 is written 優秀.
What is the difference between 优秀 and 优良?
优秀 usually praises people and their achievements, like a student or employee. 优良 more often describes qualities or conditions, such as 优良的传统 (a fine tradition) or 优良品种 (a good breed).
Can 优秀 be used as a grade or rating?
Yes. In Chinese schools and evaluations, 优秀 is often the top grade, similar to excellent, above 良好 (liánghǎo, good) and 及格 (jígé, pass).