有 (yǒu) - to have & to possess

有Tone 3

yǒu ｜ 6 strokes ｜ radical: 月

咏与

有 · yǒu

to have;

to possess;

to exist;

there is/are;

to own;

indicates existence or possession

to haveto possessto exist

Usage highlights

to haveto have notusefulinterestingeffectivefamous

Synonyms

  • 拥有— to possess, to own
  • 具有— to have, to possess
  • 具备— to have, to be equipped with

Antonyms

  • 无— not have, without
  • 没— not have, without

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I have a book (我有一本书).
  • There is a cat on the chair (椅子上有一只猫).
  • He has a lot of experience (他有很多经验).
  • Do you have time?(你有时间吗?)

Collocations

  • to have(有)
  • to have not(没有)
  • useful(有用)
  • interesting(有趣)
  • effective(有效)
  • famous(有名)

Idioms

  • To have both ability and integrity(德才兼备)
  • To have a well-thought-out plan(胸有成竹)
  • To have a guilty conscience(做贼心虚)
  • To have eyes but fail to recognize(有眼无珠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • One of the most fundamental and frequently used characters in Chinese, expressing existence and possession.
  • In Chinese philosophy, 'having' and 'not having' (无) are important concepts in Taoist thought.
  • Used in many compound words to express positive qualities or states of being.

FAQ