yǒu

to have

HSK Level 1

Example Sentences

我有书。

wǒ yǒu shū.

I have a book.

你有笔吗?

nǐ yǒu bǐ ma?

Do you have a pen?

他有电脑。

tā yǒu diànnǎo.

He has a computer.

Synonyms

存在 (cúnzài)

exist

拥有 (yǒngyǒu)

have

具备 (bèijù)

possess

Antonyms

(wú)

without

没有 (méiyǒu)

don't have

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Etymology & Components

The Chinese character 有 (yǒu) is composed of two parts: the radical 宀 (miàn), which represents a roof or shelter, and the phonetic component 酉 (yǒu), which is a pictograph of a wine vessel. The original meaning of 有 was "to have" or "to possess", which is still its most common meaning today. However, 有 can also be used in a more abstract sense to mean "to exist" or "to be".The character 有 has a long history, dating back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was originally written as 酉, which was a pictograph of a wine vessel. This character was later simplified to 有, which is the form that is used today.The character 有 is used in a wide variety of Chinese words and phrases. Some common examples include:* 有钱 (yǒu qián) - to have money* 有时间 (yǒu shíjiān) - to have time* 有兴趣 (yǒu xìngqù) - to be interested in* 有问题 (yǒu wèntí) - to have a problem* 有道理 (yǒu dàolǐ) - to make senseThe character 有 is also used in a number of Chinese idioms and proverbs. Some common examples include:* 有志者事竟成 (yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) - where there's a will, there's a way* 有朋自远方来,不亦乐乎 (yǒu péng zì yuǎnfāng lái, bù yì lè hū) - what a pleasure it is to have friends come from afar!* 有其父必有其子 (yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zǐ) - like father, like sonThe character 有 is a versatile and important character in the Chinese language. It is used in a wide variety of words and phrases, and it can also be used to express a variety of abstract concepts.