喻 (yù) - To explain & to inform

喻Tone 4

yù ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

善嘉

喻 · yù

To explain;

to inform;

to understand;

metaphor;

analogy;

also a surname.

To explainto informto understand

Usage highlights

MetaphorAnalogyTo explain clearlyTo persuade with reasonFigurative meaningTo understand

Synonyms

  • 说— to say; to speak
  • 明— to clarify; to make clear
  • 譬— metaphor; analogy
  • 解— to explain; to understand

Antonyms

  • 默— silent; taciturn
  • 迷— confused; perplexed

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The teacher explained the concept clearly (喻之以理).
  • This is a metaphor for life (人生的比喻).
  • I finally understood his meaning (我明白了他的喻意).
  • He is surnamed Yu (他姓喻).

Collocations

  • Metaphor(比喻)
  • Analogy(譬喻)
  • To explain clearly(喻示)
  • To persuade with reason(晓喻)
  • Figurative meaning(喻义)
  • To understand(喻解)

Idioms

  • Hard to explain in words(不可言喻)
  • To use a metaphor to illustrate a point(引喻失义)
  • Self-evident truth(不言而喻)
  • To use a metaphor to explain a profound truth(借喻明理)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • The character 喻 is composed of the mouth radical (口) and the phonetic component 俞, originally meaning 'to inform' or 'to explain'.
  • It is strongly associated with rhetoric, persuasion, and the use of figurative language in classical Chinese literature.
  • As a surname, it is relatively uncommon but has historical roots in China.

FAQ