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餘 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
餘yúsurplus, remainder, excesszg, 15 strokes, radical 飠
yú(yu2)yu T2
  1. 1surplus, remainder, excess
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March 24, 2026

餘yú(yu2)

The character 餘 (yú) refers to surplus, remainder, or excess. It is commonly used in contexts involving quantities that exceed what is necessary or expected, such as surplus money or leftover food. It can also imply something that is in addition to what is required.

Strokes15Radical飠
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of surplus often relates to prosperity and good fortune, particularly during festivals when food is prepared in excess to symbolize abundance and hospitality.

Memory tip

Imagine a big feast where after everyone has eaten, there are still a lot of delicious dishes left over. This is your '余' (yú) — the leftovers or surplus. The character has the radical 魚 (fish) which can remind you of fish leftover from a meal.

Meanings of 餘

yú(yu2)
1surplus, remainder, excess
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

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About 餘

餘Simplified
15Strokes
飠Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 餘

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Podcast: 餘

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AI study notes for 餘

Quick Contrast

剩 (shèng) refers specifically to leftovers or what remains after a portion has been used, while 餘 (yú) can imply a broader sense of surplus or excess beyond just what remains.

Usage Notes

A common mistake is to confuse 餘 with the similar sounding 余 (yú), which means 'I' or 'me' in a more archaic form. 餘 is more formal and may be used in written language rather than spoken. Remember to use the correct tone, as using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

Although 餘 is not an HSK level word, it can be related to other words within HSK levels such as 剩余 (shèng yú, surplus) and 余下 (yú xià, remaining). Focus on understanding its usage in mathematical or financial contexts to improve comprehension.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mix up 餘 with 余, mistakenly using 餘 in contexts where they mean 'I'. For example, saying '餘会去' (yú huì qù) is incorrect; it should be '我会去' (wǒ huì qù).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 餘

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Etymology of 餘

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Pictograph of a small shelter. Based on the original meaning "residence", now written as 舍. The current meaning is a phonetic loan.

Memory hint

Extra 余 food 飠; 余 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 餘?

Decomposition of 餘

IDS Structure⿰飠余
餘Full character
=
飠shi2
left
余Yu2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 餘?

How to say surplus, remainder, excess in Chinese

“surplus, remainder, excess” in Chinese is餘yú

The character 餘 (yú) refers to surplus, remainder, or excess. It is commonly used in contexts involving quantities that exceed what is necessary or expected, such as surplus money or leftover food. It can also imply something that is in addition to what is required.

When to use 餘

A common mistake is to confuse 餘 with the similar sounding 余 (yú), which means 'I' or 'me' in a more archaic form. 餘 is more formal and may be used in written language rather than spoken. Remember to use the correct tone, as using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

餘 or something close to it

剩 (shèng) refers specifically to leftovers or what remains after a portion has been used, while 餘 (yú) can imply a broader sense of surplus or excess beyond just what remains.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mix up 餘 with 余, mistakenly using 餘 in contexts where they mean 'I'. For example, saying '餘会去' (yú huì qù) is incorrect; it should be '我会去' (wǒ huì qù).

Write 餘

餘

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

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Word Family of 餘

Words containing this character20
其余qíyúthe rest其餘
业余yèyúin one's spare time業餘
剩余shèngyúremainder剩餘
余地yúdìmargin餘地
余额yú’ésurplus餘額
多余duōyúsuperfluous多餘
余下remaining餘下
残余remnant殘餘
余yúextra餘
有余to have an abundance有餘
盈余surplus盈餘
不遗余力to spare no pains or effort (idiom); to do one's utmost不遺餘力
富余in surplus富餘
游刃有余handling a butcher's cleaver with ease (idiom); to do sth skillfully and easily遊刃有餘
心有余悸to have lingering fears心有餘悸
课余after school課餘
绰绰有余enough and to spare (idiom)綽綽有餘
空余free空餘
余震earthquake aftershock餘震
余热residual heat餘熱
Exercise 1 of 4

Words with 餘

What does 其余 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 餘

You can say '我有一些餘錢' (wǒ yǒu yīxiē yúqián), which means 'I have some surplus money.'

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