悠 yōu distant
distant; remote; long; carefree
How to remember 悠: 攸 distant + 心 heart = distant. The distant lights of home stay in the sailor's heart each night, even as the boat carries him somewhere more distant.
Component breakdown
悠 = 攸 distant + 心 heart
- 攸 distant
- 心 heart
The distant lights of home stay in the sailor's heart each night, even as the boat carries him somewhere more distant.
How it is used
- 悠 is bound, evoking something long-lasting or leisurely/carefree.
- 悠久 (yōujiǔ) means long-standing and pairs almost fixedly with history: 历史悠久 (lìshǐ yōujiǔ) "with a long history" - a set phrase used for old cities, brands, traditions.
- 悠闲 (yōuxián) describes a relaxed, unhurried lifestyle or afternoon: 悠闲的生活 (yōuxián de shēnghuó) a leisurely life.
- 忽悠 (hūyou) is an unrelated colloquial slang verb meaning to fool/con someone, popularized by Northeastern Chinese dialect and comedy - don't confuse it with the "leisurely" sense of 悠.
Words with 悠
Example sentences
- 长城的历史很悠久。 Chángchéng de lìshǐ hěn yōujiǔ.The Great Wall has a very long history.