越 (yuè) - To exceed & to surpass

越Tone 4

yuè ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

悦丈

越 · yuè

To exceed;

to surpass;

to cross over;

to go beyond;

also refers to the ancient Yue state/people of southern China and Vietnam.

To exceedto surpassto cross over

Usage highlights

To cross a borderTo exceed limitsExcellent and outstandingYue operaVietnamTo jump over

Synonyms

  • 超— to exceed, to surpass
  • 跨— to cross over, to stride

Antonyms

  • 守— to guard, to defend (opposite of crossing boundaries)
  • 限— to limit, to restrict

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He crossed the border (越境).
  • The temperature exceeds 30 degrees (温度超过30度).
  • She excels in mathematics (她在数学上卓越).
  • The ancient Yue culture (越文化) was influential in southern China.

Collocations

  • To cross a border(越境)
  • To exceed limits(超越)
  • Excellent and outstanding(卓越)
  • Yue opera(越剧)
  • Vietnam(越南)
  • To jump over(越过)

Idioms

  • To go beyond one's bounds(越俎代庖)
  • To cross the Chu border wearing Qin clothes — to feign allegiance(秦衣越楚)
  • Wu and Yue in the same boat — cooperation between rivals(吴越同舟)
  • To steal the bell with ears covered — self-deception(掩耳盗铃 — from 吕氏春秋)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Refers to the ancient Baiyue peoples who inhabited coastal southern China, with cultural connections to modern Vietnamese people.
  • The character embodies concepts of transcendence and boundary-crossing in both physical and metaphorical senses.
  • Yue opera is one of China's major regional opera forms, originating in Zhejiang province.

FAQ