有余 (yǒu yú) — to have more than enough, to have a surplus; (after a number) over, more than

Definition

Literal 'have surplus' — used to say something is more than enough (time, money, food), and after numbers to mean 'over' (e.g. 四十有余 'over forty').

verb
to have more than enoughto have a surplus(after a number) overmore than

Examples

  • 。
    Tā měi gè yuè dōu chuò chuò yǒu yú.
    He has more than enough every month.
  • ，。
    Jīn nián shōu cheng hěn hǎo, liáng shi yǒu le yú.
    This year's harvest is good, and there is a surplus of grain.
  • 有余，。
    Tā kàn qǐ lái sì shí yǒu yú, dàn shí jì gèng nián qīng.
    He looks over forty, but is actually younger.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

有yǒuhave
余yúsurplus

有 means have and 余 means surplus, so the idea is having more than enough.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
肉肉ròumeat
Sound part声符shēngfú
又
又yòu有yǒu
Same sound today

The form 有 combines 又, used for its sound, with a shape from 肉, 'meat'; the hand-holding-meat story is a folk explanation, not shown in the oldest shape.

Open 有 →

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 餘; 余 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
食食shí
Sound part声符shēngfú
余
余yú餘Yú
Same sound today

The traditional form 餘 pairs 食 (food) with 余 as its sound part; the simplified 余 is a later abbreviation.

Open 余 →

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