亚 yà Asia
Asia; second
How it came to be
A royal tomb seen from above, a cross-shaped pit with rooms. The character was borrowed for second rank and next after, and much later for the first sound of Asia.
How it is used
- Two senses: 'Asia' (亚洲 Yàzhōu) and 'second/inferior to'. 亚军 (yàjūn) = runner-up, second place, below 冠军 (guànjūn) champion.
- 不亚于 (búyàyú) is a useful phrase: 'no less than, not inferior to' - 他的水平不亚于专业选手 (tā de shuǐpíng búyàyú zhuānyè xuǎnshǒu) his level is no less than a pro's.
- As a prefix it means 'sub-': 亚热带 (yàrèdài) subtropical.
Characters built with 亚
Words with 亚
Example sentences
- 亚洲一共有几个国家？ Yàzhōu yīgòng yǒu jǐ gè guójiā?How many countries are there in Asia altogether?
- 她的工作能力不亚于其他人。 Tā de gōngzuò nénglì búyàyú qítā rén.She is every bit as competent in her work as others.