幼 (yòu) — young; juvenile (bound form used in compounds)

Definition

A bound morpheme meaning 'young, juvenile' — never used alone, only inside compound words like 幼儿园, 幼稚, or 幼苗. Contrast with 年轻 (niánqīng, 'young' as a free adjective for people).

bound form

youngjuvenile (bound form used in compounds)

Examples

。
Zhè ge yòu ér yuán yǒu hěn duō hái zi.
This kindergarten has many children.
。
Tā kàn qǐ lái hěn yòu zhì.
He looks very naive.
。
Zhè chǎng yǔ jiù le zhè xiē yòu miáo.
This rain saved these seedlings.

Origin

Compound ideograph

六书liùshū

会意huìyì

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

幺力幼

幺幺yāotiny
力力lìstrength

幼 is built from 幺, shown as tiny, and 力, shown as strength. 幺 may also contribute the sound.

Appears in

Life Stages & Age

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