用于 meaning in English

yòngyú

to use in; to use on; to use for

HSK 5Traditional 用於8 strokes

Meaning of 用于

Definitions from CC-CEDICT.

yòngyú

to use in; to use on; to use for

How to use 用于

用于 is a formal, written-style verb that tells you the purpose or area where something is applied. It usually comes after the thing being used and before the purpose. Example: 这笔钱用于教育。(Zhè bǐ qián yòngyú jiàoyù.) This money is used for education.

用 (yòng) means to use, and 于 (yú) is a small word meaning in, on, or for. Put them together and you get "use for": what something is used for.

Common mistake: Learners often write 用于 when they just mean "to use," as in 我用于电脑, which is wrong. For plain "use something" say 我用电脑 or 使用电脑, and save 用于 for stating a purpose or field of application.

用于 in example sentences

Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.

英yīng语yǔ是shì一yī种zhǒng世shì界jiè性xìng的de语yǔ言yán，用yòng于yú世shì界jiè各gè地dì。

English is a universal language and is used all over the world.

此cǐ法fǎ适shì用yòng于yú所suǒ有yǒu情qíng况kuàng。

This law is applicable to all cases.

这zhè条tiáo规guī则zé只zhǐ适shì用yòng于yú外wài国guó人rén。

This rule is applied to foreigners only.

此cǐ输shū入rù法fǎ也yě适shì用yòng于yú这zhè个ge版bǎn本běn。

The input method also works with this version.

当dāng我wǒ是shì个gè孩hái子zi的de时shí候hòu，我wǒ会huì把bǎ大dà部bù分fèn时shí间jiān都dōu用yòng于yú室shì内nèi阅yuè读dú。

When I was a child, I spent most of my time indoors reading.

Stroke order for each character

Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.

用 yòng · to use · 5 strokes

于 yú · to go · 3 strokes

Related words

Words that share a character with 用于.

不用	bùyòng	need not
有用	yǒuyòng	useful
使用	shǐyòng	to use; to employ
作用	zuòyòng	to act on; to affect; action; function; activity
信用卡	xìnyòngkǎ	credit card
等于	děngyú	to equal; to be tantamount to
常用	cháng yòng	in common usage
终于	zhōngyú	at last; in the end
利用	lìyòng	to exploit; to make use of
属于	shǔyú	to belong to; to fall under (a category)
没用	méiyòng	useless
由于	yóuyú	due to; as a result of

Questions about 用于

What does 用于 mean?

用于 (yòngyú) means "to use in; to use on; to use for".

How do you write 用于?

用于 is made of 2 characters: 用 (5 strokes), 于 (3 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.

Is 用于 an HSK word?

Yes. 用于 is on the HSK 5 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.

How is 用于 written in traditional Chinese?

In traditional characters, 用于 is written 用於.

What is the difference between 用于 and 用来?

Both can describe purpose, but 用来 (yònglái) is more spoken and is followed by a verb, as in 用来写字 (used to write). 用于 sounds more formal and is often followed by a noun, as in 用于医疗 (used in medicine).

Can 用于 be used in a passive sense?

Yes. The subject is usually the thing being used, not the person using it, so it often reads like English "is used for." For example, 这种药用于治疗感冒 (zhè zhǒng yào yòngyú zhìliáo gǎnmào) means this medicine is used to treat colds.