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嶼 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
嶼yǔislandx, 16 strokes, radical 山
yǔ(yu3) T3
  1. 1island
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

嶼yǔ(yu3)

The character 嶼 (yǔ) means 'island' and is often used in geographical contexts to refer to smaller landmasses surrounded by water. It is commonly found in compound words related to islands and can convey a sense of natural beauty or isolation.

Strokes16Radical山
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, islands hold significant value in poetry and art, often symbolizing beauty and tranquility. Famous islands such as Taiwan and Hainan are often referenced in literature, embodying unique cultural identities.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small, picturesque island (the meaning of 嶼) rising from the waves. The character 嶼 resembles a mountain (山) above the water (氵), suggesting a landmass surrounded by sea. Remember 'yǔ' sounds like 'you' — as in, 'you' could be on a serene island!

Meanings of 嶼

yǔ(yu3)
1island
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 嶼

嶼Simplified
16Strokes
山Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 嶼

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Podcast: 嶼

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AI Study Notes for 嶼

Usage Notes

While 嶼 specifically refers to islands, it's important to avoid confusing it with 島 (dǎo), which is more commonly used in everyday language. 嶼 tends to appear in more formal or literary contexts, so it's best suited for written descriptions of geography.

HSK Study Tips

Although 嶼 is not part of the HSK vocabulary list, learners at this level should focus on related words like 島 (dǎo) and 海 (hǎi), which can help in understanding geographical terms. Familiarity with these words enhances comprehension of texts about nature and travel.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 嶼 with 島 due to their similar meanings. For example, saying '我去到嶼' (wǒ qù dào yǔ) instead of '我去到島' (wǒ qù dào dǎo) when referring to an island in general usage is incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 嶼

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Etymology of 嶼

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

Phonosemantic compound. 山 represents the meaning and 与 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嶼.

Memory Hint

mountain

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

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 嶼

Phonosemantic compound. 山 represents the meaning and 与 represents the sound. Simplified form of 嶼.

  1. 1The meaning half山 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half與 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaymountain
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 嶼? 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 嶼?

Decomposition of 嶼

IDS Structure⿰山與
嶼Full Character
=
山Shan1
left
與yu3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 嶼?

How to say island in Chinese

“island” in Chinese is嶼yǔ

The character 嶼 (yǔ) means 'island' and is often used in geographical contexts to refer to smaller landmasses surrounded by water. It is commonly found in compound words related to islands and can convey a sense of natural beauty or isolation.

When to use 嶼

While 嶼 specifically refers to islands, it's important to avoid confusing it with 島 (dǎo), which is more commonly used in everyday language. 嶼 tends to appear in more formal or literary contexts, so it's best suited for written descriptions of geography.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 嶼 with 島 due to their similar meanings. For example, saying '我去到嶼' (wǒ qù dào yǔ) instead of '我去到島' (wǒ qù dào dǎo) when referring to an island in general usage is incorrect.

Write 嶼

嶼

Practice writing 嶼 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 嶼

Words Containing This Character10
岛屿dǎoyǔisland島嶼
屿yǔislet嶼
鼓浪屿Gulangyu, scenic island off Xiamen 廈門|厦门[Xià​mén]鼓浪嶼
大屿山Lantau Island大嶼山
兰屿Lanyu or Orchid Island township in Taitung County 臺東縣|台东县[Tái​dōng​Xiàn], southeast Taiwan蘭嶼
槟榔屿Penang Pulau (Island), Malaysia檳榔嶼
秀屿区Xiuyu district of Putian city 莆田市[Pú​tián​shì], Fujian秀嶼區
秀屿Xiuyu district of Putian city 莆田市[Pú​tián​shì], Fujian秀嶼
彭佳屿Pengjia Island, administered as part of Chilung or Keelung 基隆[Jī​lóng], Taiwan彭佳嶼
西屿乡Xiyu or Hsiyu township in Penghu county 澎湖縣|澎湖县[Péng​hú​xiàn] (Pescadores Islands), Taiwan西嶼鄉
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 岛屿 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 嶼

It is pronounced as 'yǔ', with a rising tone.

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