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多于 (duō yú) — to exceed, to be more than

Definition

多于 (duō yú) is a formal/written verb meaning 'to be more than / to exceed' a number or quantity. Read it as a single unit — it is NOT the loose 'more than' you might guess from 多 and 于 separately.

verb
to exceedto be more than

Examples

  • 多于。
    Zhè ge yuè de zhī chū duō yú shàng ge yuè hěn duō.
    This month's expenses exceed last month's by a lot.
  • 多于。
    Cān jiā huó dòng de rén shù duō yú wǒ men yù qī de.
    The number of people attending the event exceeded our expectations.
  • 多于。
    Tā de dé fēn duō yú le jìng zhēng duì shǒu.
    His score exceeded that of his competitors.

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.

多duōmore
于yúthan

多 means more, and 于 points to the thing compared, so the word means to exceed.

Characters in this word

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

多 originally showed two pieces of meat placed together; the repeated meat shape gives the sense of many.

Open 多 →

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 →
Appears in
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