优于 (yōu yú) — to be better than, to surpass, to be superior to

Definition

A written/formal verb meaning 'to be better than / superior to' (used for comparing quality, performance, or results), more literary than 比…好. Common in reports and evaluations.

verb
to be better thanto surpassto be superior to

Examples

  • 优于。
    Tā de chéng jì yōu yú qí tā tóng xué.
    His grades are better than the other students.
  • 优于。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī de chǎn pǐn zhì liàng yōu yú tóng háng.
    The product quality of this company is superior to its peers.
  • 优于。
    Tā de biǎo xiàn yōu yú yù qī.
    His performance exceeded expectations.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

优yōusuperior
于yúthan

优 gives the sense of being superior, and 于 points that comparison toward another thing.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 優; 优 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
憂
憂yōu優yōu
Same sound today

The traditional form 優 combines 亻 (人, person) with 憂 for the sound; the simplified 优 is a later abbreviation.

Open 优 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 一一yīflat stream of air
  • 丂丂kǎoto exhale

The old shape of 于 may have pictured an ancient wind instrument. Another explanation reads 一 as a flat stream of air and 丂 as an exhaling mark.

Open 于 →

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