有 (yǒu) — to have, to possess; there is, there are (indicating existence)
Definition
有 is the everyday 'have / there is' used for possession and existence. The longer forms you meet later (拥有, 具有, 具备) are more formal and used for abstract or important things.
verb
to haveto possessthere isthere are (indicating existence)
Examples
- 有。Wǒ yǒu yì běn shū.I have a book.
- 有。Xué xiào yǒu hěn duō lǎo shī.There are many teachers at the school.
- 有？Nǐ yǒu māo ma?Do you have a cat?
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
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.
Grammar
Appears in
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