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纡 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
纡yūto twist, to turn, to bend; to distortg, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #57360, Very Hard
纡yūtwistingunknown, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #57360, Very Hard
纡yūsurname Yuunknown, 6 strokes, radical 纟, rank #57360, Very Hard
yū(Yu1) T1
  1. 1to twist, to turn, to bend; to distort
  2. 2twisting
Also a Chinese surname, Yu — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

纡(紆)yū(Yu1)

The character 纡 (yū) primarily means to twist or bend something. It is often used in contexts involving physical shapes or movements, but can also imply a metaphorical distortion or deviation from a norm. In some cases, it serves as a surname, Yu.

Strokes6Radical纟Frequency#57360DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of twisting can be metaphorical for the complexities of life, reflecting the idea that paths are not always straight and can take unexpected turns.

Memory Tip

Imagine a long piece of ribbon twisted up in a complicated knot. The twists and turns of the ribbon represent the character 纡. The pronunciation 'yū' sounds like 'you,' so think of 'you' trying to untwist the ribbon, which reflects the meaning of bending or twisting.

Meanings of 纡

yū(Yu1)
1to twist, to turn, to bend; to distort
2twisting
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 纡

纡Simplified
紆Traditional
6Strokes
纟Radical
语素morpheme (morph.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 纡

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Podcast: 纡

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 纡

Quick Contrast

纡 (yū) vs 弯 (wān) — use 纡 for twisting or bending in a more complex or metaphorical sense, while 弯 refers to a simple curve or bend.

Usage Notes

This character is more formal and often found in written Chinese rather than in everyday conversation. Be cautious with the tones; using the wrong tone can lead to misunderstandings. Common collocations include 纡回 (yū huí), meaning to turn back or detour.

HSK Study Tips

While 纡 is not currently part of the HSK vocabulary, it connects with other characters related to twisting or bending, such as 弯 (wān) and 曲 (qū). Focus on recognizing its structure and its usage in more sophisticated texts.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 纡 with similar-looking characters, leading to the incorrect usage of words like 余 (yú, meaning 'surplus'). A common mistake is to write 纡 without using the correct tone, resulting in a different meaning altogether.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 纡

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Etymology of 纡

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

thread

Semantic (meaning)纟
+
Phonetic (sound)于
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 纡

  1. 1The meaning half纟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half于 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaythread
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 纡? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 纡?

Decomposition of 纡

IDS Structure⿰纟于
纡Full Character
=
纟si1
left
于Yu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 纡?

How to say to twist, to turn, to bend; to distort in Chinese

“to twist, to turn, to bend; to distort” in Chinese is纡yū

The character 纡 (yū) primarily means to twist or bend something. It is often used in contexts involving physical shapes or movements, but can also imply a metaphorical distortion or deviation from a norm. In some cases, it serves as a surname, Yu.

When to use 纡

This character is more formal and often found in written Chinese rather than in everyday conversation. Be cautious with the tones; using the wrong tone can lead to misunderstandings. Common collocations include 纡回 (yū huí), meaning to turn back or detour.

纡 or something close to it

纡 (yū) vs 弯 (wān) — use 纡 for twisting or bending in a more complex or metaphorical sense, while 弯 refers to a simple curve or bend.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 纡 with similar-looking characters, leading to the incorrect usage of words like 余 (yú, meaning 'surplus'). A common mistake is to write 纡 without using the correct tone, resulting in a different meaning altogether.

Write 纡

纡

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 纡

Words Containing This Character1
纡yūwinding紆
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 纡 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 纡

纡 primarily means to twist or bend something.

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