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娱 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
娱yúto amusevn, 10 strokes, radical 女, rank #43458, Very Hard
娱yúpleasure, enjoyment, amusementvn, 10 strokes, radical 女, rank #43458, Very Hard
yú(yu2) T2
  1. 1to amuse
  2. 2pleasure, enjoyment, amusement
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
娱(娛)yú(yu2)

The character 娱 (yú) refers to the concept of amusement or entertainment. It is commonly used in contexts relating to leisure activities, enjoyment, and anything that brings pleasure. In modern usage, it often appears in phrases related to entertainment industries, such as movies, music, and games.

Strokes10Radical女Frequency#43458DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 娱 is often linked to traditional forms of entertainment such as Peking Opera, which has a rich history and reflects societal values and stories. Modern entertainment forms, like film and music, are also significant in contemporary Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Imagine a joyful person (娱) surrounded by laughter and fun. The character has the 女 (nǚ) radical, which means 'woman,' suggesting that many forms of entertainment (like performances) are often associated with women, reflecting their roles in cultural practices. The sound 'yú' can be remembered by associating it with 'you' being happy and entertained.

Meanings of 娱

yú(yu2)
1to amuse
2pleasure, enjoyment, amusement
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 娱

娱Simplified
娛Traditional
10Strokes
女Radical
名动词dòngcíverb-noun (v.-n.)Part of Speech
#43458Frequency Rank

Podcast: 娱

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Podcast: 娱

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AI Study Notes for 娱

Quick Contrast

娱 (yú) vs 乐 (lè) — use 娱 for entertainment-related contexts, while 乐 emphasizes joy or happiness.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a joyful person (娱) surrounded by laughter and fun. The character has the 女 (nǚ) radical, which means 'woman,' suggesting that many forms of entertainment (like performances) are often associated with women, reflecting their roles in cultural practices. The sound 'yú' can be remembered by associating it with 'you' being happy and entertained.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include confusing 娱 (yú) with other similar-sounding characters, such as 余 (yú), which means 'surplus' or 'extra.' This character is generally used in informal contexts when talking about entertainment. Be cautious with the tones, as mispronouncing it can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

While 娱 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary list, it can be relevant for learners at HSK 4 and above who are expanding their vocabulary related to leisure and entertainment. Students should focus on learning collocations like 娱 乐 (yú lè) for 'entertainment' to reinforce understanding.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, 娱 is often linked to traditional forms of entertainment such as Peking Opera, which has a rich history and reflects societal values and stories. Modern entertainment forms, like film and music, are also significant in contemporary Chinese society.

Common Mistakes

Learners may mistakenly write 娱 as 娱, confusing it with the character for 'surplus' (余). Always remember that 娱 specifically relates to entertainment and amusement.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 娱

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Etymology of 娱

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 女 represents the meaning and 吴 represents the sound. Simplified form of 娛.

Memory Hint

woman

Semantic (meaning)女
+
Phonetic (sound)吴
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 娱?

Decomposition of 娱

IDS Structure⿰女吴
娱Full Character
=
女nü3
left
吴Wu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 娱?

Write 娱

娱

Practice writing 娱 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 娱

娱 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons1
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

“____乐消遣是每个国民都能享受的事，”她坚定地说。

"Enter-taining is something that everyone in the country can enjoy," she averred.

Common Confusions with 娱

娱vs愉
yú

Similar sound but different meaning.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to amuse"?

or

Example Sentences for 娱 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“娱乐消遣是每个国民都能享受的事，”她坚定地说。

“ “ yú lè xiāo qiǎn shì měi gè guó mín dū néng xiǎng shòu de，” shì ，” tā jiān dìng。

"Enter-taining is something that everyone in the country can enjoy," she averred.
2
我们问了娱乐圈里的女性有关电影制作的内幕。

wǒ mén wèn le yú lè quān lǐ de nǚ xìng yǒu guān diàn yǐng zhì zuò de nèi mù。

We asked women in the biz for their low-down on film-making.
3
在所有简单无害的娱乐项目背后都隐藏着危险，特别是对儿童而言。

zài suǒ yǒu jiǎn dān wú hài de yú lè xiàng mù bèi hòu dū yǐn cáng zháo wēi xiǎn， ， tè bié shì duì ér tóng ér。

Under all the innocent fun, there are hidden dangers, especially for children.
4
导演想要当时签约于华纳兄弟娱乐公司旗下的奥利维娅·德哈维兰出演。

dǎo yǎn xiǎng yào dāng shí qiān yuē yú huá nà xiōng dì yú lè gōng sī qí xià de ào lì wéi yà· · dé hā wéi lán chū。

The director wanted Olivia de Havilland, then under contract to Warner Brothers.
5
我的爱好是：到外面上馆子，晚上在家娱乐，听音乐，寻乐子。

wǒ de ài hǎo shì： ： dào wài miàn shàng guǎn， zǐ ， wǎn shàng zài jiā， yú lè ，， tīng yīn lè。

My interests: eating out, fun nights in, music and laughter.
6
他就像是个自娱自乐的爱幻想的孩子。

tā jiù xiàng shì gè zì yú zì lè de ài huàn xiǎng de hái zǐ。

He's like some dreamy kid playing on his own.
7
欲知离自己最近的演出的详情，请查询当地文娱预告杂志。

yù zhī lí zì jǐ zuì jìn de yǎn chū de xiáng qíng， ， qǐng chá xún dāng dì wén yú yù gào zá。

For details of the nearest performance look in the local listings magazines.
8
米罗是最具创造力和娱乐性的超现实主义画家。

mǐ luó shì zuì jù chuàng zào lì hé yú lè xìng de chāo xiàn shí zhǔ yì huà jiā。

Miro is the most inventive and entertaining of surrealist painters.
9
曾经一度热热闹闹的娱乐选秀节目进入了冬歇期.

zēng jīng yī dù rè rè nào nào de yú lè xuǎn xiù jié mù jìn rù le dōng xiē qī.

Once bustling entertainment draft program into the winter.
10
这些地方已经划出来用于公共娱乐。

zhè xiē dì fāng yǐ jīng huá chū lái yòng yú gōng gòng yú lè。

These areas are set aside for public recreational use.

Cultural Notes for 娱

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, 娱 is often linked to traditional forms of entertainment such as Peking Opera, which has a rich history and reflects societal values and stories. Modern entertainment forms, like film and music, are also significant in contemporary Chinese society.

Word Family of 娱

Words Containing This Character7
娱乐yúlèto entertain娛樂
娱yúto amuse娛
自娱to amuse oneself自娛
娱乐场所place of entertainment娛樂場所
文娱wényúentertainment文娛
娱乐界entertainment world娛樂界
欢娱to amuse歡娛
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 娱乐 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 娱

You can say '我喜欢看电影和听音乐，这些都是我的娱乐活动。' (I enjoy watching movies and listening to music; these are my forms of entertainment.)