優

See also: 优

優 U+512A, 優 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-512A ← 儩 [U+5129] CJK Unified Ideographs 儫 → [U+512B]

㊝ U+329D, ㊝ CIRCLED IDEOGRAPH EXCELLENT ← ㊜ [U+329C] Enclosed CJK Letters and Months ㊞ → [U+329E]

Translingual

Han character

優 (Kangxi radical 9, 人+15, 17 strokes, cangjie input 人一月水 (OMBE), four-corner 2124₇, composition ⿰亻憂)

References

• KangXi: page 120, character 28
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 1261
• Dae Jaweon: page 254, character 26
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 1, page 233, character 4
• Unihan data for U+512A

Chinese

trad.		優
simp.		优*

Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 優
Small seal script s05803 Transcribed ancient scripts L33551 L33552 L33553 L11732 L11733
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 (憂) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
憂	*qu
優	*qu
瀀	*qu
櫌	*qu
鄾	*qu
嚘	*qu
耰	*qu
獶	*qu
纋	*qu
懮	*quʔ

Phono-semantic compound (形聲, OC *qu): semantic 亻 + phonetic 憂 (OC *qu).

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yōu (you¹)

  (Zhuyin): ㄧㄡ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): jau¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): yiu¹

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): yîu
• Min Dong (BUC): iŭ
• Min Nan

  (Hokkien, POJ): iu

  (Teochew, Peng'im): iu¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yōu
    • Zhuyin: ㄧㄡ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: you
    • Wade–Giles: yu¹
    • Yale: yōu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: iou
    • Palladius: ю (ju)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /joʊ̯⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jau¹
    • Yale: yāu
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jau¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yeo¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jɐu̯⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: yiu¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jiu³³/
• Hakka
  • (Northern Sixian, incl. Miaoli)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yîu
    • Hakka Romanization System: iu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yiu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /i̯iu̯²⁴/
  • (Southern Sixian, incl. Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: yîu
    • Hakka Romanization System: (r)iu´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: yiu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /(j)i̯iu̯²⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: iŭ
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ieu⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: iu
    • Tâi-lô: iu
    • Phofsit Daibuun: iw
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /iu⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou, Jinjiang): /iu³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: iu¹
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: iu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /iu³³/

---

• Middle Chinese: /ʔɨu/

Rime
Character	優
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	影 (34)
Final (韻)	尤 (136)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	III
Fanqie	於求切
Baxter	'juw
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʔɨu/
Pan Wuyun	/ʔiu/
Shao Rongfen	/ʔiəu/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʔuw/
Li Rong	/ʔiu/
Wang Li	/ĭəu/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʔi̯ə̯u/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	yōu
Expected Cantonese Reflex	jau1

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*ʔ(r)u/

  (Zhengzhang): /*qu/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	優
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	yōu
Middle Chinese	‹ ʔjuw ›
Old Chinese	/*ʔ(r)u/
English	entertainer; liberal
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	優
Reading #	1/1
No.	15494
Phonetic component	憂
Rime group	幽
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	憂
Old Chinese	/*qu/

Definitions

優

1. generous; abundant; ample
2. excellent; superior
3. (literary, or in compounds) to give preferential treatment
4. (dated) actor; entertainer
5. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (Cantonese) to pull up (pants or socks)
6. a surname: You

Synonyms

• (generous):

edit

Synonyms of 優

• 充牣 (chōngrèn) (literary)
• 充盈 (chōngyíng)
• 博大 (bódà)
• 宏富 (hóngfù) (literary)
• 富足 (fùzú)
• 盎然 (àngrán)

• 優厚／优厚 (yōuhòu)
• 寬裕／宽裕 (kuānyù)
• 從容／从容 (cóngróng)
• 滿盈／满盈 (mǎnyíng) (literary)
• 豐厚／丰厚 (fēnghòu)
• 豐富／丰富 (fēngfù)

• 豐滿／丰满 (fēngmǎn)
• 豐盛／丰盛 (fēngshèng)
• 豐碩／丰硕 (fēngshuò)
• 豐足／丰足 (fēngzú)
• 饒／饶 (ráo)

• (to give preferential treatment):

edit

• 厚待 (hòudài)
• 知遇 (zhīyù) (literary)

• 優待／优待 (yōudài)
• 優遇／优遇 (yōuyù)

• 照顧／照顾 (zhàogù)

Antonyms

• (excellent): 劣 (liè)

Compounds

Derived terms from 優

• 伊優／伊优
• 伶優／伶优
• 俳優／俳优 (páiyōu)
• 俳優體／俳优体
• 倡優／倡优 (chāngyōu)
• 優伶／优伶 (yōulíng)
• 優假／优假
• 優優／优优
• 優先／优先 (yōuxiān)
• 優先權／优先权 (yōuxiānquán)
• 優劣／优劣 (yōuliè)
• 優勝／优胜 (yōushèng)
• 優勝劣敗／优胜劣败
• 優勢／优势 (yōushì)
• 優勢種／优势种 (yōushìzhǒng)
• 優厚／优厚 (yōuhòu)
• 優哉游哉／优哉游哉 (yōuzāiyóuzāi)
• 優地槽／优地槽
• 優境學／优境学
• 優婆塞／优婆塞 (yōupósè)
• 優婆夷／优婆夷
• 優孟衣冠／优孟衣冠
• 優容／优容
• 優弧／优弧
• 優待／优待 (yōudài)
• 優待券／优待券
• 優待月票／优待月票
• 優恤／优恤
• 優惠／优惠 (yōuhuì)
• 優惠待遇／优惠待遇
• 優惠關稅／优惠关税
• 優撫／优抚 (yōufǔ)

• 優曇華／优昙华
• 優柔／优柔
• 優柔寡斷／优柔寡断 (yōuróuguǎduàn)
• 優格／优格 (yōugé)
• 優樂／优乐
• 優比／优比
• 優洽／优洽
• 優渥／优渥 (yōuwò)
• 優游／优游
• 優游不迫／优游不迫
• 優游自在／优游自在
• 優獎／优奖
• 優生保健／优生保健
• 優生學／优生学 (yōushēngxué)
• 優異／优异 (yōuyì)
• 優禮／优礼 (yōulǐ)
• 優秀／优秀 (yōuxiù)
• 優笑／优笑
• 優等／优等 (yōuděng)
• 優缽羅／优钵罗
• 優美／优美 (yōuměi)
• 優良／优良 (yōuliáng)
• 優處／优处
• 優裕／优裕 (yōuyù)
• 優角／优角
• 優詔／优诏
• 優貢／优贡
• 優質／优质 (yōuzhì)
• 優越／优越 (yōuyuè)
• 優越感／优越感 (yōuyuègǎn)
• 優遇／优遇 (yōuyù)
• 優遊／优游 (yōuyóu)

• 優選法／优选法
• 優酪乳／优酪乳 (yōulàorǔ)
• 優長／优长
• 優閒／优闲
• 優雅／优雅 (yōuyǎ)
• 優養化／优养化
• 優點／优点 (yōudiǎn)
• 名優／名优 (míngyōu)
• 名特優新／名特优新
• 品學兼優／品学兼优 (pǐnxuéjiānyōu)
• 女優／女优 (nǚyōu)
• 娼優／娼优
• 學優才贍／学优才赡
• 學優而仕／学优而仕 (xuéyōu'érshì)
• 弄優／弄优
• 從優／从优 (cóngyōu)
• 才勇兼優／才勇兼优
• 才學兼優／才学兼优
• 擇優／择优 (zéyōu)
• 特優／特优
• 男優／男优 (nányōu)
• 空優迷彩／空优迷彩
• 績優／绩优
• 績優股／绩优股 (jìyōugǔ)
• 膽識俱優／胆识俱优
• 衣冠優孟／衣冠优孟
• 資優／资优 (zīyōu)
• 資優生／资优生
• 雜種優勢／杂种优势
• 養尊處優／养尊处优 (yǎngzūnchǔyōu)
• 高貴優雅／高贵优雅

Japanese

Kanji

優

(grade 6 “Kyōiku” kanji)

1. a person with lithe movements
2. kind (adj.), favor
3. good, excellent, surpass, superior
   1. the best possible grade on school results
4. rich, wealthy
5. a sufficient amount for a certain thing
6. tenderness, gentleness
7. actor

Readings

• Go-on: う (u)
• Kan-on: ゆう (yū, Jōyō)^{←いう (iu, historical)}
• Kun: すぐれる (sugureru, 優れる, Jōyō); まさる (masaru, 優る); やさしい (yasashii, 優しい, Jōyō)
• Nanori: かつ (katsu); ひろ (hiro); ゆたか (yutaka); ゆ (yu); よし (yoshi)

Compounds

• 優(う)曇(どん)華(げ) (udonge)
• 優(やさ)形(がた) (yasagata)
• 優(やさ)男(おとこ) (yasaotoko)
• 優(ゆう)々(ゆう)閑(かん)々(かん) (yūyūkankan), 優(ゆう)優(ゆう)閑(かん)閑(かん) (yūyūkankan)
• 優(ゆう)位(い) (yūi)
• 優(ゆう)先(せん) (yūsen)
• 優(ゆう)劣(れつ) (yūretsu)
• 優(ゆう)勝(しょう) (yūshō)
• 優(ゆう)勢(せい) (yūsei)
• 優(ゆう)女(おんな) (yūonna)
• 優(ゆう)姿(し) (yūshi)
• 優(ゆう)婉(えん) (yūen)
• 優(ゆう)弧(こ) (yūko)
• 優(ゆう)待(たい) (yūtai)
• 優(ゆう)性(せい) (yūsei)
• 優(ゆう)柔(じゅう)不(ふ)断(だん) (yūjūfudan)
• 優(ゆう)渥(あく) (yūaku)
• 優(ゆう)生(せい) (yūsei)
• 優(ゆう)秀(しゅう) (yūshū)
• 優(ゆう)等(とう) (yūtō)
• 優(ゆう)美(び) (yūbi)
• 優(ゆう)者(しゃ) (yūsha)
• 優(ゆう)良(りょう) (yūryō)
• 優(ゆう)艶(えん) (yūen)
• 優(ゆう)諚(じょう) (yūjō)
• 優(ゆう)越(えつ) (yūetsu)
• 優(ゆう)越(えつ)感(かん) (yūetsukan)
• 優(ゆう)退(たい) (yūtai)
• 優(ゆう)遇(ぐう) (yūgū)
• 優(ゆう)長(ちょう) (yūchō)
• 優(ゆう)雅(が) (yūga)
• 優(ゆう)駿(しゅん) (yūshun)

 

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
優
ゆう Grade: 6
on’yomi

Adverb

優(ゆう) • (yū) ^{←いう (iu)?}

1. enough, amply
2. easily, skillfully

Noun

優(ゆう) • (yū) ^{←いう (iu)?}

1. A (letter grade); excellence
2. gentleness

Proper noun

優(ゆう) • (Yū) ^{←いう (iu)?}

1. a female given name

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
優
まさ(る) Grade: 6
kun’yomi

Proper noun

優(まさる) • (Masaru) 

1. a male given name

Related terms

• 優(まさ)しげ (masashige)
• 優(まさ)る (masaru)

Korean

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 優 (MC ʔɨu).

Historical readings
Recorded as Middle Korean ᅙᅮᇢ (Yale: qwuw) in Dongguk Jeongun (東國正韻 / 동국정운), 1448. Recorded as Middle Korean 우 (wu) (Yale: wu) in Hunmong Jahoe (訓蒙字會 / 훈몽자회), 1527.

Pronunciation

• (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA^(key): [u]
• Phonetic hangul: [우]

Hanja

Wikisource

優 (eumhun 넉넉할 우 (neongneokhal u))

1. Hanja form^? of 우 (“excellent; superior”).
2. Hanja form^? of 우 (“actor”).

Compounds

Compounds

• 배우 (俳優, bae'u)
• 성우 (聲優, seong'u)
• 우대 (優待, udae)
• 우등 (優等, udeung)
• 우선 (優先, useon)
• 우량 (優良, uryang)
• 우성 (優性, useong)
• 우세 (優勢, use)
• 우수 (優秀, usu)
• 우승 (優勝, useung)
• 우열 (優劣, uyeol)
• 우월 (優越, uwol)
• 우위 (優位, uwi)
• 우아 (優雅, ua)
• 우생학 (優生學, usaenghak)

References

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [1]

Vietnamese

Han character

優: Hán Nôm readings: ưu

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

Compounds

Compounds

• ưu đãi (優待)
• ưu liệt (優劣)
• ưu tiên (優先)
• ưu thế (優勢)
• ưu tú (優秀)
• ưu việt (優越)