優 (yōu) - Excellent, superior, outstanding & gentle, graceful

優Tone 1

yōu ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

咏与

優 · yōu

Excellent, superior, outstanding;

gentle, graceful;

abundant, ample;

actor, performer (in traditional opera).

Excellent, superior, outstandinggentle, gracefulabundant, ample

Usage highlights

ExcellentSuperior qualityGraceful and elegantAdvantagePreferential treatmentOutstanding student

Synonyms

  • 佳— good, fine
  • 良— good, virtuous
  • 美— beautiful, fine
  • 卓— outstanding, eminent

Antonyms

  • 劣— inferior, bad
  • 差— poor, inferior

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She is an excellent student (優等生).
  • The service at this hotel is superior (優質服務).
  • He has an elegant demeanor (優雅的風度).
  • The company offers preferential treatment (優待).

Collocations

  • Excellent(優秀)
  • Superior quality(優質)
  • Graceful and elegant(優雅)
  • Advantage(優點)
  • Preferential treatment(優待)
  • Outstanding student(優等生)

Idioms

  • Remaining calm and unhurried(優哉游哉)
  • Outstanding and refined(才學兼優)
  • Favored by nature(得天獨優)
  • To have the advantage(佔盡優勢)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Originally depicted a person performing with ceremonial regalia, implying grace and abundance.
  • In Confucian context, associated with the ideal of the 'superior man' (君子) who cultivates virtue and refinement.
  • In traditional Chinese theater, '優' referred to actors and performers, though this class was sometimes looked down upon socially.

FAQ