于

See also: 千, 干, 子, 𠂌, チ, 扵, 於, and モ

于 U+4E8E, 于 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-4E8E ← 亍 [U+4E8D] CJK Unified Ideographs 亏 → [U+4E8F]

Translingual

Stroke order

Han character

于 (Kangxi radical 7, 二+1, 3 strokes, cangjie input 一木 (MD), four-corner 1040₀, composition ⿱一𬺰 or ⿻二亅 or ⿻丁一)

Derived characters

• 㐵, 吁, 圩, 㚥, 弙, 扜, 汙, 旴, 杅, 玗, 䏏, 盱, 䄨, 衧, 紆, 纡, 䍂, 虶, 訏, 𬣙, 趶, 酑, 釪, 𰽗, 䩒, 骬
• 㝼, 迂, 邘, 㪀, 宇, 芋, 穻, 竽, 㡰, 㽳, 䖉, 盂

Additional Derived Characters

• 𫤿, 𭖂, 𢖳, 𣦿, 𮳚, 𤿍, 𰑇, 𫡚, 𫯣, 𫎏, 𨊱, 𥎿, 𱃡, 𬲨, 𰖨, 𬹥, 𫧙
• 𪪬, 𠄀, 𬅞, 𨾌, 𬱀, 𠯊, 𭑃, 𤕎, 𬙗, 𤰤, 𬙘, 𦭨, 𦏴, 𩁹, 𫉞, 𲁱, 𰫹
• 𰭨, 𢊢, 𠃗, 𬉶, 𮧶, 𭅕, 𧘘, 𱲭, 𲄸, 𰼒, 𨕓, 𣕓

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 86, character 6
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 252
• Dae Jaweon: page 177, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 4, character 5
• Unihan data for U+4E8E

Chinese

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 于
Shang	Western Zhou	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts
Oracle bone script j11694 j11695 j11696 j11697 j11698 j11699 j11700 j11701 j11702 j11703 j11704 j11705 j11706 j11707 j11708 j11709 j11710 j11711 j11712 j11713 j11714 j11715 j11716 j11717 j11718 j11719 j11720 j11721 j11722 j11723 j11724 j11725 j11726 j11727 j11728 j11729 j11730 j11731 j11732 j11733 j11734 j11735 j11736 j11737 j11738 j11739 j11740 j11741 j11742 j11743 j11744 j11745 j11746 j11747 j11748 j11749 j11750 j11751 j11752 j11753 j11754 j11755 j11756 j11757 j11758 j11759 j11760 j11761 j11762 j11763 j11764 j11765 j11766 j11767 j11768 j11769 j11770 j11771 j11772 j11773 j11774 j11775 j11776 j11777 j11778 j11779 j11780 j11781 j11782 j11783 j11784 j11785 j11786 j11787 j11788 j11789 j11790 j11791 j11792 j11793 j11794 j11795 j11796 j11797 j11798 j11799 j11800 j11801 j11802 j11803 j11804 j11805 j11806 j11807 j11808 j11809 j11810 j11811 j11812 j11813 j11814 j11815 j11816 j11817 j11818 j11819 j11820 j11821 j11822 j11823 j11824 j11825 j11826 j11827 j11828 j11829 j11830 j11831 j11832 j11833 j11834 j11835 j11836 j11837 j11838 j11839 j11840 j11841 j11842 j11843 j11844 j11845 j11846 j11847 j11848 j11849 j11850 j11851 j11852 j11853 j11854 j11855 j11856 j11857 j11858 j11859 j11860 j11861 j11862 j11863 j11864 j11865 j11866 j11867 j11868 j11869 j11870 j11871 j11872 j11873 j11874 j11875 j11876 j11877 j11878 j11879 j11880 j11881 j11882 j11883 j11884 j11885 j11886 j11887 j11888 j11889 j11890 j11891 Bronze inscriptions b07161 b07162 b07163 b07164 b07165 b07166 b07167 b07168 b07169 b07170 b07171 b07172 b07173 b07174 b07175 b07176 b07177 b07178 b07179 b07180 b07181 b07182 b07183 b07184 b07185 b07186 b07187 b07188 b07189 b07190 b07191 b07192 b07193 b07194 b07195 b07196 b07197 b07198 b07199 b07200 b07201 b07202 b07203 b07204 b07205 b07206 b07207 b07208 b07209 b07210 b07211 b07212 b07214 b07215 b07217 b07218 b07219 b07220 b07222 b07223 b07224 b07226 b07227 b07228 b07229 b07230 b07231 b07233 b07234 b07235 b07236 b07237 b07238 b07239 b07240 b07241 b07242 Small seal script s03515 Transcribed ancient scripts L30498 L30499 L30500 L30501 L30502 L02603 L02604 L02605 L02606 L02607 L02608 L02609 L02610
References: Mostly from Richard Sears' Chinese Etymology site (authorisation), which in turn draws data from various collections of ancient forms of Chinese characters, including: Shuowen Jiezi (small seal), Jinwen Bian (bronze inscriptions), Liushutong (Liushutong characters) and Yinxu Jiaguwen Bian (oracle bone script).

Characters in the same phonetic series (于) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
侉	*qaːls
夸	*kʰʷraː
姱	*kʰʷraː
胯	*kʰʷraː, *kʰʷraːs, *kʰʷaːs
跨	*kʰʷraː, *kʰʷraːʔ, *kʰʷraːs, *kʰʷaːs
誇	*kʰʷraː
垮	*kʰʷraːʔ
銙	*kʰʷraːʔ
骻	*kʰʷraːʔ
咵	*kʰʷraːʔ
釫	*ɢʷraː, *qʷaː
摦	*ɡʷraːs
鮬	*pɢʷaː, *kʰʷaː
嶀	*qʰʷl'aː
扝	*kʰʷaː, *qʷaː
刳	*kʰʷaː
郀	*kʰʷaː
挎	*kʰʷaː
袴	*kʰʷaːs
絝	*kʰʷaːs
褲	*kʰʷaːs
恗	*qʰaː
洿	*ɡʷaːʔ, *qʷaː
瓠	*ɡʷlaː, *ɡʷlaːs
鄠	*ɢʷlaːʔ
污	*qʷaː, *qʷaːs
杇	*qʷaː
圬	*qʷaː
鴮	*qʷaː
盓	*qʷaː
汙	*qʷaːs, *ɢʷa
樗	*qʰʷl'a
摴	*qʰʷl'a
荂	*pqʰʷa, *qʰʷa
雩	*qʰʷla, *ɢʷla
吁	*qʰʷa, *ɢʷas
盱	*qʰʷa
訏	*qʰʷa
扜	*qʰʷa, *qʷa
旴	*qʰʷa
冔	*qʰʷaʔ
紆	*qʷa
陓	*qʷa
迂	*qʷa, *qʷaʔ, *ɢʷa
虶	*qʷa
于	*ɢʷa
盂	*ɢʷa
竽	*ɢʷa
邘	*ɢʷa
玗	*ɢʷa
芋	*ɢʷa, *ɢʷas
杅	*ɢʷa
釪	*ɢʷa
骬	*ɢʷa
謣	*ɢʷla
宇	*ɢʷaʔ

Pictogram (象形). Two possibilities for the object of representation are:

• An ancient wind instrument; early form of 竽 (OC *ɢʷa). This view is supported by mainstream palaeography.
• Exhaled air; early form of 吁 (OC *qʰʷa, *ɢʷas, “to sigh”). Shuowen considers it to be an ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 一 (“flat stream of air”) + 丂 (“to exhale”). Compare 乎, 兮, 号.

Unrelated to the bottom component of 得.

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of 于 – see 於 (“Etymology 1”). (This character is the simplified and variant traditional form of 於).

Notes: Simplified Chinese is mainly used in Mainland China, Malaysia, and Singapore. Traditional Chinese is mainly used in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Etymology 2

simp. and trad.		于
alternative forms		亐 ancient 亏 ancient 𠂌 ancient 丂 *
* premodern lexicology definition

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ɢʷra (“to go; to come”).

The preposition usages were replaced by 於 during the Han dynasty (Schuessler, 2007).

See entry 於 for the discussion of the developed homophony of 於 and 于.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yú (yu²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˊ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yú
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yú
    • Wade–Giles: yü²
    • Yale: yú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yu
    • Palladius: юй (juj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: hju

Rime
Character	于
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	云 (35)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	羽俱切
Baxter	hju
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɨo/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦio/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣio/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦuə̆/
Li Rong	/ɣio/
Wang Li	/ɣĭu/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yú
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ɢʷ(r)a/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷa/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	于
Reading #	1/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yú
Middle Chinese	‹ hju ›
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷ(r)a/
English	go; at
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	于
Reading #	1/1
No.	15706
Phonetic component	于
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	于
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷa/
Notes	王筠雲籲初文

Definitions

于

1. (literary) to go to

   • 于彼冀方。 [MSC, trad. and simp.]

     From: 223 CE, 曹植 (Cao Zhi), 責躬（有表） ("Blaming Myself (with memorial)"); 2021 English translation by Robert Joe Cutter

     Yú bǐ Jì fāng. [Pinyin]

     I went to that land of Ji

2. (literary) at

   • 文王在上、於昭于天。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     文王在上、于昭于天。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Wénwáng zài shàng, yú zhāo yú tiān. [Pinyin]

     King Wen is on high; Oh! bright is he in heaven.

3. (literary) A meaningless particle.

   鳳凰于飛／凤凰于飞 [Pre-Classical Chinese]  ―  fènghuáng yú fēi [Pinyin]  ―  The phoenixes are a-flying.

   • 王于興師，修我戈矛，…… [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad.]
     王于兴师，修我戈矛，…… [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp.]

     From: The Classic of Poetry, c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Wáng yú xīng shī, xiū wǒ gē máo,...... [Pinyin]

     The king is a-raising his forces; I will prepare my lance and spear, […]

Etymology 3

simp. and trad.		于
alternative forms		亐 ancient 亏 ancient

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yú (yu²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu¹ / jyu⁴
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): û / u / î
• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ¹iu

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yú
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yú
    • Wade–Giles: yü²
    • Yale: yú
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yu
    • Palladius: юй (juj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: jyu¹ / jyu⁴
    • Yale: yū / yùh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy¹ / jy⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu¹ / yu⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː⁵⁵/, /jyː²¹/

Note: jyu4 - dated.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: û
    • Tâi-lô: û
    • Phofsit Daibuun: uu
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /u²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Xiamen, Taipei): /u²⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou, variant in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: u
    • Tâi-lô: u
    • Phofsit Daibuun: w
    • Sinological IPA (Quanzhou): /u³³/
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /u⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: î
    • Tâi-lô: î
    • Phofsit Daibuun: ii
    • Sinological IPA (Taipei): /i²⁴/
    • Sinological IPA (Kaohsiung): /i²³/
    • Sinological IPA (Zhangzhou): /i¹³/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai, Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ¹iu
    • MiniDict: iu^平
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ¹y
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /y⁵³/
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /y⁴⁴/

---

• Middle Chinese: hju

Rime
Character	于
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	云 (35)
Final (韻)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	羽俱切
Baxter	hju
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ɦɨo/
Pan Wuyun	/ɦio/
Shao Rongfen	/ɣio/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ɦuə̆/
Li Rong	/ɣio/
Wang Li	/ɣĭu/
Bernhard Karlgren	/i̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yú
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jyu4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ɢʷ(r)a/, /*ɦʷa/

  (Zhengzhang): /*ɢʷa/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	于	于
Reading #	1/2	2/2
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yú	yú
Middle Chinese	‹ hju ›	‹ hju ›
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷ(r)a/	/*ɦʷa/ (< *ɢʷ(r)a)
English	go; at	單于 chányú: Xiōngnú ruler (W. Hàn)
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	于
Reading #	1/1
No.	15706
Phonetic component	于
Rime group	魚
Rime subdivision	0
Corresponding MC rime	于
Old Chinese	/*ɢʷa/
Notes	王筠雲籲初文

Definitions

于

1. a surname

   于禁  ―  Yú Jìn  ―  Yu Jin (Chinese military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao (曹操) in the late Eastern Han dynasty)

2. Used in several names and proper nouns.

   單于／单于  ―  chányú  ―  chief of the Xiongnu; a Chinese surname

   淳于  ―  Chúnyú  ―  a Chinese surname

Usage notes

The surname 于 is to be distinguished from another surname 於. The surname 於 is still 於 in simplified Chinese.

Etymology 4

simp. and trad.		于
alternative forms		亐 ancient 亏 ancient

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yū (yu¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄩ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yū
    • Zhuyin: ㄩ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yu
    • Wade–Giles: yü¹
    • Yale: yū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iu
    • Palladius: юй (juj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y⁵⁵/

Definitions

于

1. (literary) alternative form of 迂 (yū, “large; vast; wide”)

Etymology 5

simp. and trad.		于
alternative forms		亐 ancient 亏 ancient

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xū (xu¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄩ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): heoi¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: xū
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄩ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: syu
    • Wade–Giles: hsü¹
    • Yale: syū
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiu
    • Palladius: сюй (sjuj)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɕy⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: heoi¹
    • Yale: hēui
    • Cantonese Pinyin: hoey¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: hêu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /hɵy̯⁵⁵/

Definitions

于

1. (literary) alternative form of 吁 (interjection); used in 于嗟 (xūjiē) and 于咨

Compounds

• 于于
• 于嗟 (xūjiē)
• 于徐
• 于思
• 于時
• 于歸 (yúguī)
• 于田 (Yútián)
• 于闐 (Yútián)
• 于飛
• 于飛之樂 / 于飞之乐
• 伊于胡底
• 刑于
• 友于
• 叔于田
• 君子于役
• 單于 (chányú)
• 大叔于田
• 大單于
• 淳于 (Chúnyú)
• 燕燕于飛
• 福生于微
• 錞于 (chúnyú)
• 鳳凰于飛 / 凤凰于飞
• 鳳皇于蜚

Japanese

Kanji

于

(Hyōgai kanji)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Readings

• Go-on: う (u)、ゆ (yu)、く (ku)
• Kan-on: う (u)、く (ku)
• Kun: ここに (koko ni, 于に)、ああ (ā)、おいて (oite, 于て)、より (yori, 于り)、を (o)、に (ni)、いわく (iwaku, 于く)^{←いはく (ifaku, 于く, historical)}、ゆく (yuku, 于く)

References

• “^▲于”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎^[1] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015–2025

Korean

Hanja

于 (eum 우 (u))

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Vietnamese

Han character

于: Hán Nôm readings: vu, vo, vò

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

References

• Nom Foundation