(yōu) - excellent & superior

Tone 1

yōu | 6 strokes | radical: 亻

· yōu

excellent;

superior;

outstanding;

actor;

performer

excellentsuperioroutstanding

Usage highlights

excellentsuperior qualityactor/actressoptimizeadvantageelegant

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • inferior; poor
  • bad; poor

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She is an excellent student (优秀学生).
  • This product has superior quality (优质产品).
  • He works as an actor (演员).
  • We need to optimize the process (优化过程).

Collocations

  • excellent(优秀)
  • superior quality(优质)
  • actor/actress(演员)
  • optimize(优化)
  • advantage(优势)
  • elegant(优雅)

Idioms

  • Outstanding and refined(优优雅雅)
  • Excellent and virtuous(才优德劭)
  • Living in ease and comfort(养尊处优)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally referred to actors and performers in ancient China, particularly in theatrical performances.
  • Extended meaning of 'excellence' comes from the idea of performing at the highest level.
  • In modern usage, strongly associated with quality, superiority, and outstanding performance.

FAQ