幽幽 (yōu yōu) — (adj.) faint, dim (of light, sound, or smell); (adj.) deep, profound, unfathomable (of atmosphere, emotion, or expression)

Definition

A bound, literary adjective painting something as faint and remote — dim light, distant sound, or a quiet, unfathomable mood. Far more written and evocative than plain 暗 or 轻.

bound form
(adj.) faintdim (of light, sound, or smell)(adj.) deepprofoundunfathomable (of atmosphere, emotion, or expression)
Easily confused

Examples

  • 幽幽。
    Fáng jiān lǐ zhǐ yǒu yì zhǎn yōu yōu de tái dēng.
    There was only a dim desk lamp in the room.
  • 幽幽。
    Cóng yuǎn chù chuán lái yōu yōu de dí shēng.
    The faint sound of a flute came from afar.
  • 幽幽，。
    Tā yōu yōu de kàn zhe wǒ, yí jù huà yě bù shuō.
    She looked at me with an unfathomable gaze, not saying a word.

Origin

Reduplicated word
构词法gòucífǎ
重叠chóngdiéReduplication

A syllable said twice — for affection, for softness, or simply because that is how the word is said.

幽yōufaint; deep
幽yōufaint; deep

The two “幽” together intensify the faint, deep, lingering sense.

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
山山shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢆶
𢆶𢆶幽yōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

幽 pairs 山, mountain, with 𢆶 as a sound part.

Open 幽 →

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
山山shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢆶
𢆶𢆶幽yōu
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

幽 pairs 山, mountain, with 𢆶 as a sound part.

Open 幽 →

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